It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Eat. Live. Be. REBOOT

December 8, 2011 · Eat. Live. Be., Narrative

Black-Eyed Basmati Salad
Regular readers may remember an Eat. Live. Be. movement that me and Sarah came up with and ran last year.  At the time, it was perfect because it partnered nicely with my whole Cate Version 2.0 movement.  You know, the one wherein I got addicted to Zumba, clean eating, and a weight loss of over sixty pounds.  But then, I sprained my ankle in May, and that put the brakes on a lot of what I was doing.  I haven’t been back to Zumba since, and you have know idea how much that pains me.  The good news is that while I haven’t been going as full force as I was before, I have managed to maintain my weight loss.

But that isn’t enough.

Or wasn’t for me.

I missed the mental zone that all that dedication afforded me.  When people prattle on about the endorphin rush you get from exercising, it’s not just meaningless drivel.  It’s the truth.  And when I say that your body responds differently to how and what you feed it, again, it’s the truth.

And when you’re treating your body right, everything else just magically falls into place.

You’re able to handle stress better.

Relationships.

Work.

Kids.

You have more energy.

And you want to do better.

It’s not just lip service.

So the fact that I wasn’t in the exact same spot as I was in the spring?  Killed me.  Like, seriously.  Thought about it day in and out.

And in the grand scheme of things, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

Which, of course, frustrated me even more.

Zumba and clean eating is what started me back on the straight and narrow.

And I couldn’t Zumba.  In fact, I still can’t.  And because that’s what got me going (and what worked) before, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  My ankle, believe it or not, is still swollen and just can’t hold up to a Zumba class quite yet.  Apparently recovery from sprains is a long road.

But I needed to get out of my head and back on my program.

So Sunday, I walked.  And walked.  And walked.  To the tune of four miles.

And I felt amazing.  I felt proud.  And that feeling that I had missed these past 8 months?  Back.  Not full force, but that will come in time.  I had to take the first steps, both literally and figuratively, to get back on track.

And so it was perfect timing for a reboot of Eat. Live. Be.

This time, we’re going to do it slightly different … but we do hope that you will join in on the fun.  It’s a good online support group, and certainly the more the merrier.

1.  We’ll be publishing our Eat. Live. Be. posts on Wednesdays.

2.  Because we all have different goals, Eat. Live. Be. means different things to different people.  It could mean losing twenty pounds (me and Joanne).  Maybe it’s the support you need to kick that sugar habit?  Or just get out and get your jog on.  It’s just a day to focus on what you want, whatever that may be, and go after it.

3.  Sarah, Patsy, and Joanne will all be posting on Eat. Live. Be. on Wednesdays as well, and we encourage you to join our facebook group, and comment on our posts and let us know how you’re doing too.  And, of course, what your goals are.

4.  Instead of us all talking about a specific, predetermined topic every week, we’re going to change it up a bit and make it much more broad.  We will rotate using various mediums (magazine, online, print {cookbook, journal, etc.}, and television, in that rotating order) as our writing prompt, and then interpret it (and elaborate on it) based on our specific goals and objectives.

5.  And because I am a sucker for a good inspirational quote, we’ll each share one that is speaking to us at that particular moment.

So today is about sharing our goals, as our kick-off, and then I’ll give you my bit of magazine inspiration.

My initial goal is to get back, completely, to where I was pre-sprained ankle.  The consistent working out.  And clean eating.  Since I can’t do Zumba, I plan on continuing the walking, and the four mile walk Sunday was a great start.  My mini goal is walking three days a week.  And as my ankle gets stronger, I add more.  And then, cleaning eating all the way again.  The odd non-clean eating food and/or recipe will, of course, still be a part of our kitchen, but I hold fast to my mantra, all things in moderation.

I won’t go all crunchy granola on you, but the Eat. Live. Be. posts will be peppered amongst the other topics you like here as well.  The kids.  Mystic.  Our adventures.  Crafting.  Parenting.  Photography.  Food.  Anything and everything goes, as always.  But for now, Wednesdays belong to Eat. Live. Be.  Sometimes fitness.  Motivation.  Recipes.  Exercises.  Not all single-minded focus.  For your health is about your mental and emotional well-being too.  It’s a-l-l connected.  We hope you’ll join in the fun, and spread the word.

So this week’s prompt was to come from a magazine, and I found mine courtesy of a recent issue of Redbook.  They had a section on all-star Thanksgiving recipes, and when I saw the one from Food Network’s Guy Fieri, it was perfect for this week’s contribution.  Clean eating.  Easy.  Perfect for a quick little snack or a light lunch or dinner.  No guilt, but full-on flavor.  Black-Eyed Basmati Salad.  My mom is always searching for the next best recipe for our obligatory New Year’s Day black-eyed peas dish (for good luck, don’t you know?), and this is an excellent contender (although last year’s with the avocado is still my favorite).  This salad took just 15 minutes to make, and I had everything on hand except for the peas.  It’s totally worth making and stashing in the fridge for when the munchies hit.  Anything to keep you away from the fudge brownies and candy canes, right?  But don’t worry, a fudge brownie recipe is coming here in the next few days as well.

And lastly, my quote.  Ever since high school, I have had notebooks upon notebooks of favorite quotes (and now, even a Pinterest board dedicated to favorite quotes).  Things that were perfect to hear right then.  Words that made me completely rethink a situation.

154037249724418210_vI6vDlli_cFrom chasingkristina.tumblr.com

Ain’t that the truth? Whether it’s a thinner waistline, a better jump shot, or a way with words, if you don’t work for it, it isn’t going to happen.

December 7, 2011 – Bonus Photos
Chocolate Over Chocolate
In a dessert-before-dinner moment, we met friends for frozen yogurt tonight.

Crazy Girl

Concentration
And a bit of Santa letter writing.

This was a longer than normal post today, but we had a lot of stuff to get through.  Kudos if you stuck through ’till the end! xoxo

Black-Eyed Basmati Salad
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri via Redbook magazine

“I like to get something lighter into Thanksgiving, and the bright acids of this salad wake up the palate. I’m used to cooking for my mom, dad, and sister, who was a vegetarian [she passed away in February], so I want to make something everyone can enjoy.” — Guy, HOST OF DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES ON FOOD NETWORK

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

½ cup basmati rice
1 cup water
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp each honey, minced shallot, and chopped cilantro
1 (15½-oz) can black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained
½ cup diced red bell pepper
? cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, sliced
¼ cup diced red onion
1 tsp ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan, combine rice, water, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover pan, and simmer on low for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is just tender. Let cool. Fluff with a fork.

2. In a large bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, oil, honey, shallot, and cilantro until combined. Add rice and remaining ingredients, and toss until evenly dressed. Salad can be refrigerated up to 2 hours before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

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Posted In: Eat. Live. Be., Narrative · Tagged: Black-Eyed Basmati Salad, black-eyed peas, Eat. Live. Be., Food Network, Guy Fieri, Redbook magazine

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    December 8, 2011 at 7:23 am

    walking is the first step to running, you know…. :P
    (I’m still rooting for EatLivebe half marathon of 2012).

    That salad sounds delicious! Definitely the kind of thing I’d eat for lunch. And dinner. Daily. No guilt.

    So excited to be kicking this off!

    Reply
  2. Joanna says

    December 8, 2011 at 9:16 am

    I’m joining in your project, looking forward to the journey! I’ve been reading your blog for several yours now Cate and your recipes and posts are always an inspiration.

    http://lostinagoodstory.blogspot.com/2011/12/eat-live-be.html

    Reply
  3. Patsy says

    December 8, 2011 at 11:13 am

    getting going by walking is a great way to get back into exercise! I’m starting with walking as well… stuffy nose is keeping me from getting too intense with working out this week. Love that quote, too!

    Reply
  4. Claire says

    December 8, 2011 at 11:26 am

    Um, that salad looks DELICIOUS! It would definitely be just for me, though. Good job on the walking. Hate that you can’t Zumba.

    Reply
  5. Sarah Caron says

    December 9, 2011 at 12:23 am

    That salad looks so good. I’m so glad to be getting back on track. I didn’t realize I would miss ELB as much as I did.

    Reply

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It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?

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It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛

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