Jersey Strong...

Morning everyone!  We are in the midst of the most GLORIOUS weather week here in Jersey.  Mid-70's, sunny & no humidity.  It's pure perfection.  And with weather so nice mixed with Scott's week off from work, how could we stay inside??  So off we headed down to the Jersey Shore yesterday to the Point Pleasant boardwalk...

Well, we did make a quick pit stop at the little marina area before heading onward.  Lunch IS the most important meal of the day...right?J

And when down the shore, how can you NOT head for an open-air seafood joint...

...with gorgeous views like THIS while you eat:

And how can you NOT order the Jersey lobster roll with homemade fries??

Taste of the sea at it's finest  (although New England still may have the market on lobster rolls...the buttered roll is kinda essentialJ)

Katie also enjoyed her first bites of lobster tooJ  Never too early to start em on the finer things in life...hahahahahahhaahhaa

After lunch, we headed to the boardwalk, which I was happy to see was fully up & functioning after Hurricane Sandy in October.  You could tell about 95% of the boardwalk was made of new boards from what was previously washed away.  Seeing it all rebuilt was certainly the definition of "Jersey Strong!"

The only sad part of the day was when we visited the section of the beach where we got engaged/have our beach picnics and seeing the rebuilding that was still ongoing.  The steps & lookout we used to take to just GET on that beach were completely wiped away.  Puts everything in perspective.

But anyway...back to the happy partsJ  Where the rest of the day was spent taking Katie on her first rides...aka- she did NOT enjoy these just yetJ

And to the Jenkinsons aquarium... 

...which went over WAY better than the ridesJ

And despite there being 400 delicious places to get ice cream on the boardwalk, when in Point Pleasant we just HAVE to make a stop at Hoffman's on the way homeJ  Especially since I'd been thinking about their toasted coconut ice cream since my other cone 3 days ago...hehehehehhee

And this time, Katie got to have her first bites of Hoffman's too...

...which she subtly enjoyedJ

Well, I hope this little post made you guys smileJ  Should have some more fun eats for you guys tomorrowJ

Have a good Wednesday!

Feel good food...

Monday Recap:

8:00:  Coffee with 1% & agave

9:30am:  Breakfast- Life cereal

Katie's new favorite...which is a TOTAL mess in the hands of a 1-year old, PSJ

12:00pm:  Lunch- Arugula salad with apples & cheddar cheese stick

3:00pm:  Snack - Handful trail mix

6:00pm:  Dinner- Lemon Pepper chicken with artichoke salsa

Well, this wasn't a typical "Monday salad", but we figured it was as close as you can get with what we already had on hand  (without a trip to the farmer's market this week)

You simply layered your plate with a bed of torn fresh spinach and topped with grilled asparagus...

(Coated in garlic powder & olive oil and grilled about 10 minutes)

On top of the spinach & asparagus, is grilled chicken breast coated in lemon pepper seasoning (or whatever seasoning you have on hand)

And then a layer of artichoke salsa...

• 1 can of artichoke hearts, diced
• 2 tablespoons capers  (+ I used a few tablespoons of the brine)
• 1/2 diced red onion
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

And finally, a sprinkle of feta... 

I called this "feel good food"J  After the weekend, this is JUST what you need to kick off the week CO-RRECT!  Lots of veggies & lots of flavors = Can't go wrong there!

6:30-7:45pm:  Beginner's Power Yoga

Sweat, sweat, sweat...and peaceJ

Well, it is just WAY too gorgeous out to stay on this blog any longer todayJ  I woke up to bright sun & cooool 70 degrees.  Felt like waking up to a "Fall Football Morning"J  I should have some fun eats to show you tomorrow...until then, have a great Tuesday! 

"Down the shore everything's alright"...and...

Hey guys!  Hope you had a great weekendJ  

So I had to start today's post with this little story because I thought it was funny.  So ya know how I've been complaining stating how it's been so hot in NJ lately??  So in an attempt to figure out what to do in this HEAT Saturday night, we had the "brilliant" idea of heading down the Jersey shore to enjoy dinner outside while taking in the comfortable ocean breeze to keep us cool.  Good idea, right??

Well, that was all fine & dandy until we actually were arriving at the shore and watched the thermometer on the dashboard rapidly drop the closer & closer we got to the coast.  By the time we got out of the car??  F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G!!!!  Absolutely FREEZING (or 60 degrees mixed with sea breezeJ)  And since Cubacan, the restaurant we were visiting, wouldn't be able to seat us inside until after 9pm, we ended up having to walk the boardwalk in search of WARM hoodies festooned with all things Asbury ParkJ

I tried to look on the bright side & realize that in the dead of summer, folks would be clamoring for these seats and it would be MUCH tougher to get such a nice table directly on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean.... 

...but that was fine until the wind blew.  And then, yeah...it was coldJ hahahahahhaa

ANYWAYS, back to the foodJ  First up was a queso trio, which I THOUGHT was going to be cheese dips for some reason.  Obviously, much like thinking it was going to be seasonably pleasant to eat outside down the shore on the first day of June, I was incorrectJ 

But, ya know, far be it from me to ignore a cheese plateJ  The waitress mixed em up for us and we sampled away with the slices of toast & what I believe was a guava paste.  You know I love me some sweet & saltyJ

And for dinner, I had a pretty tasty plate of arroz con pollo.  The chicken on the bone was nearly ALL white meat and it was served on top of that pretty saffron riceJ  Quite delishJ

And on the side, I just HAD to try an ear of their Cuban corn topped with mayo, paprika & cotija cheese... 

Flavored corn is street food in many parts of the world & I can see why.  The toppings mix was quite delicious and permeated every bite with a cheesy flavorJ

After our dinner, on our way back 'inland', the temperature started to slowly creep up again, and you KNOW what that meant:  ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So we headed to our FAVORITE ice cream place down the shore, Hoffman's in Point Pleasant...

...where we were OBVIOUSLY not the only ones with the same idea.

We thought our first visit was crowded when we walked in and got a ticket for #13 while they were serving #80.  This time, however... 

YEP.

At least it gives you plenty of time to pick your poison...and contemplate world peace while you're at itJ  This time I went with a cone of TOASTED COCONUT... 

I know you'll be SHOCKED to find out it was the first time I've ever indulged in this beauty, but OH it was a good one!  I spent most of Sunday dreaming about this cone.  It was so delicious & summeryJ

Besides our freezing dinner on the Jersey shore, we also had another 'burger Friday night' last week...

I made a simple burger mixing turkey breast, taco seasoning & shredded onion and topped it with guacamole & sauteed peppers and onions.  FAN-TAS-TIC!  Seriously SOOO GOOD for something so simple.

And on the side, I used up the rest of our farmer's market veggies from the week to whip up a new potato salad... 

I quartered those mini potatoes & boiled them in salted water about 25 minutes, tossing in the diced asparagus spears the last 5... 

Once everything was drained & cooled, I whipped up a quick, mayo-free dressing... 

• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 drizzle olive oil  (about 2 teaspoons)

I whisked that all together and poured the dressing & 2 tablespoons of capers into the potatoes & asparagus...with a little helpJ 

It made for a super-tangy side that I was craving.  The mustard & caper flavors just mixed well with the asparagus...and what doesn't go well with potatoes, ya know??J 

And in EXERCISE news for the weekend, I ended up in a back to back Body Jam & yoga class Saturday morning.  The yoga class was GENTLE and yet by 2:00pm yesterday afternoon, my muscles were BEAT.  Even though I take POWER classes 2-3 times a week, sometimes those slooooooowwwww, gentle classes can kick your ass!  It's really crazy how that works.

It also was 90+ degrees outside when I walked into boxing class on Sunday morning, only to walk into the class room and be SMACKED in the face with some intense humidity & heat.  I KNEW it was going to be a doozy.  Let's just say I was pretty gross when it was over....yet, pretty sure I had worked off that ice cream cone from Saturday nightJ hahahahahahahha

Alrighty, we're both 'back to the grind' and yet ready for some new 'adventures' while Scott's off this week!  Thankfully, after today's drenching rain & thunderstorms, we're suppose to go back to high 70's for the next few days.  Perfect for some funJ

Have a good Monday, everyoneJ

Bustin out the mandolin...again:)

Raise your hand if it's H-O-T where you are!

Man, we went from spring to the 4th of July this week!  Hot & humid all around.  Thank you Jesus for that lovely invention called air conditioning.  I always feel very lucky to have oneJ  Thankfully it's suppose to be sunny & 70's next week, so that's QUITE a better way to transition into full blown summer!

Thursday Recap:

8:00am:  Hot Lemon Water

9:00am:  Coffee with 1% & agave

10:00am:  Breakfast- Flax seed pancake

This time with a little coconut butter...yum!!  Although not as filing as with the peanut butter.  By 11, I was ready for lunchJ  But I kept myself busy (chasing around little feetJ) until lunch time.

12:00:  Lunch- Leftover Spicy Peanut Chicken 

I knew I needed something with some 'legs' for lunchJ  And while it seemed completely unseasonable, I heated this up till it was SUPER hot so it took me a long time to eatJ  (again, thank God for that air conditioner!  I can't say Scott is as lucky while working outside during his lunch:( )

2:30pm:  Snack- Nutella and animal crackers 

Yep, this happened.  This happened or I was going to claw my eyes outJ hahahahhaa  I had been thinking of  something sweet since 11am, and when 2:30 rolled around and the craving STILL hadn't passed, I figured it was OK to indulge a bit.  I DID count out those animal crackers (16 for 120 calories, not that bad!) and around 2 tablespoons of Nutella I started to feel queasy...so I figured that was a good indication of a servingJ  It must have been what I really wanted/"needed" though, because I felt satisfied the rest of the afternoon right up until dinner.

5:00-6:00pm:  Body Jam class

Track #62 last night (with the flying barrel rolls!) and my ass was officially KICKED!  

7:00pm:  Dinner- Zucchini "noodles" with Basil ricotta!

Yep, it was time to bust out the ole mandolin again last night to zip up some quick zucchini noodles! (or summer squash works here too)

FYI- I usually lop off both ends and then CAREFULLY run the zucchini over the "thin julienne" blade.  Once the zucchini gets a little THIN on the side you're slicing, just flip to another side and keep going until you are NEAR the end.  (PLEASE don't attempt the shred once it gets too close!  Either toss or hand slice those last few pieces) 

Slicing takes less than 10 minutes & a quick saute in the pan takes another 5.  Seriously folks, I KNOW this sounds tricky, but it's really a SUPER fast meal that is perfect for these summer months when zucchini is at its PEAK abundance! 

While the "noodles" are cooking, I whipped up a QUICK 'basil ricotta'... 

• 1 cup part skim ricotta (probably could have used alittle less...I got over excitedJ)
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• About 5-6 fresh basil leaves (or more.  That's just all I had leftoverJ)
• salt & pepper to taste

You can either add the basil ricotta right to that zucchini and let it melt down OR just dollop it on top and take little bites as you go along!  I loved the hot & cold contrast.

They really DO whirl up just like regular noodles!  The longer you saute them, the more they really take on the pliability of pasta.  I think almost better than spaghetti squash... 

It was a hit all aroundJ  Katie picked up EVERY last biteJ 

Well, I hope you guys have lots 'o summer fun planned this weekend.  Our weekend is the kick-off of Scott's vacation week, so we're SUPER excited to have him around with us ALL WEEK!  Weeeeeeeee!  Can't wait to take Katie on some new 'adventures' next weekJ

Have a great weekend!