Things I am Loving This Week

Posted in San Francisco, Things I Love by Emily

One thing I love about new neighborhoods is finding new restaurants. Barrel Head Brewhouse is a restaurant/brewery I have been wanting to check out for a little while now. Dustin and I decided to go there for a late lunch/early dinner one day last week. Overall the place is awesome. Very roomy, open, casual, but still is able to maintain a hip and young vibe. Of course I had to try the cheese plate, which usually I try to reserve for sharing with someone else, but not this day. It was all me! However I am not going to lie, I only ended up eating about half of it. Dustin ordered the burger with an egg and said it was very tasty. The only complaint I had was the beer was just ok, however I only tried a couple. I have a feeling this might be a new usual spot.

I love a Saturday morning run when you come across something unexpected. I am obsessed with cactus and succulents. They have become a new fixture in my home for decorating. I love them for not only their beauty, but ease of care. Now if only I could bring this patch inside I would have it made.

This week as a special treat for my parents I surprised them by taking them to go see Motown the Musical. Growing up my parents were season ticket holders to musicals in Denver, Colorado. So anytime a big musical came to the city my parents would get my brother and I tickets. I remember the excitement of getting to get all dressed up, driving up to the big city, seeing the show, and then going out to eat for dinner. All of this made the whole experience special and magical. Now as an adult one of my favorite things is going to see a musical. As for Motown, it did not disappoint! Obviously the music was amazing, the performers were fantastic, and the energy was contagious. I recommend seeing it while it is here or if it makes it to your city!

This week with all of my cheese and bread eating, I decided a nice salad was in order. This is the tuna nicoise I ordered out for lunch at a little restaurant by the theater. It was light, delicious, and filling. I ordered it without the dressing since it was dairy based and would have added a ton of calories .Instead I put some balsamic vinegar on top and it hit the spot!

Last night Dustin surprised me with a new pair of new running shoes since mine had started their gradual decent. I love that I find this way more romantic then jewelry or a nice dinner out. Also it is amazing how frequently I go through those suckers! Brooks or Saucony are typically my running shoes of choice, however this pair is Mizuno. I have to say they were pretty amazing after my first run this morning.

27Aug2014

A Tale Of Cheese In Pictures

Posted in Food and Drinks, San Francisco, Things I Love by Emily

I have an obsession with cheese. I love it all! Goat or cow’s, hard or soft, creamy or salty; the list can go on and on. I love how you can make an experience out of eating it. It can be consumed with fruit, meat, bread, crackers, or nuts. Want something more dessert like, add jam or honey to it. On the flip a touch of mustard can satisfy a salty craving.

Now this should not come as a shock to anyone. If you have read my blog you will see my food pictures and quite frequently a cheese plate is somewhere to be seen with a glass of wine standing by for company. Every person has there vice and those few indulgences you can’t give up. For me that is wine, cheese, and bread. Life without those things is just not life at all.

My parents have been in town visiting this week and on Monday they mentioned wanting to go for a drive down the coast. I started my research and found a little town called Pescadero not too far away that had a cheese farm. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to make this our day trip.

Pescadero is about an hour outside of the city and the town is only about a city block long, well at least the main drag I could see. However there is so much charm in this little community it is worth a detour if you are making the drive down south.

We stopped at a little farm called Harley Farms where they specialize in Goat Cheese. However they also make other various products from goats including amazing lotions and other body products. Pulling up to the farm the scenery was absolutely picturesque. We parked behind the old weathered barn and walked up the little path leading to the cheese shop.

On our walk we passed along the barn area where we were able to see the goats enjoying the sun as it started to peak out from the morning fog. They butted heads with one another in a playful way and paid absolutely no attention to us.

Upon walking into the cheese shop you felt that relaxed feeling you can only get at home or when entering a small town. We were greeted by a young girl with a bright smile and encouraged us to start trying samples, my kind of hello.

We tried everything from ricotta to a lavender cheesecake, all were completely different in taste, but delicious regardless. Next we wandered up the stairs to the top of the barn to look out at the view. As you would assume, it was breathtakingly simple. Not much to note but old buildings and a meadow with bursts of color from the various fresh flowers growing.

Of course before leaving we had to make a few purchases, I cant wait to try mine later this week. Next up my parents and I stopped for lunch on the main drag of town before heading back up the freeway to San Francisco. It ended up being a perfect day trip. I love how in only an hour’s drive you can remove yourself completely from the bustle of the city and enter the quietness of a farm.

24Aug2014

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 8/24/14

Posted in Books and Articles by Emily

Is Breakfast Overrated?-To eat breakfast or not to, that is the question? It turns out according to research there is not a significant difference in terms of weight loss for those who skip the meal vs those that eat it. The biggest difference was those that eat breakfast tend to move more in the morning which leads to higher caloric expenditure, however this is also off set by the additional calories eaten. Moral of the story is eat breakfast if you like to, but not to worry if you dont.

Smart Fuel: Mushrooms– I for one hated mushrooms until about a few years ago. However once you learn to love them, they can be pretty amazing. This article does a great job of breaking out all of the different varieties out there. Also who knew they grow everywhere, including the dessert and Antarctica.

A Nice Tall Glass of Camel’s Milk-Another new interesting alternative to cow’s milk. “A syudy published in an alternative medicine journal that found that 25 autistic children who were given camel’s milk, as opposed to cow’s milk, had lower levels of oxidative stress and showed improvements in behavior.”

Fun with Food Trends-Food is trendy, it is true. I find it very fascinating. I mean who knew what Kale, farro, or being gluten free was just a decade ago. This article shows the spikes and trends of some popular foods over the last few decades.

Fixing Your Pushup with 2 Simple Corrections– This article is short and to the point. A basic push-up is a great workout for the upper body. Mastering it’s technique is the key to it’s success.

Photo from Huff Post

23Aug2014

Things I am Loving- Colorado Edition

Posted in Things I Love by Emily

This past week for the first time in the 8 years I have been with my company I was able to go to Denver, Colorado for a work trip! Nothing like being able to fly home for free and see friends and family. My meetings were only for 2 days, so I took a day off and had a long weekend with my family.

My meeting’s were held at the Denver Convention center just down by 16th street mall. It was so nice to be at a hotel within walking distance of where we were meeting. I have been in a lot of convention centers over the years, but never one quite as big as this place. Also did I mention the giant bear looking in. Not something you see everyday, but I have to say it put a smile on my face every time I passed by. The highlight of the meeting was a special guest performance from Leann Rimes, which was entertaining even though she is not my favorite artist out there.

After my first day of meetings I went to dinner with my dear friend Kerstin at a restaurant called the Squeaky Bean. We split a cheese plate, a side of brussels sprouts, and an amazing seaweed salad. Overall the food was fantastic, but more like San Francisco pricing and portions. I left still feeling like I needed a little bit more to eat. Luckily the next place we grabbed a drink had a bread basket, so I went to bed feeling full and content.

After my meetings were complete my longest and closest friend Kristen made the hour drive up to Denver to pick me up before heading back home to Colorado Springs. We did our usual tradition of breweries and salads. On this sunny, summer afternoon we made it over to Great Divide my favorite brewery in all of Colorado, along with the Denver Beer Company. I really wanted to try the Graham Cracker Porter at the Denver Beer Company, but alas it was not on tap. This place had a great vibe and ambiance. It was just a shame their beer was lack luster.

The following day I went to lunch with my parents at an adorable restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs called Shuga’s. Now I am going to be honest here…….Colorado Springs food is not amazing. After living in San Francisco for so long, I have become more of a food and beverage snob. Yes I hate to admit it, but it is true. At least now being in my thirties I can accept where I have become picky. Food is one of those things, if I am going to pay to eat somewhere I am going to love it.

With all of that said, I have to say Shuga’s is amazing! And not just for Colorado Springs. If it were in San Francisco I would say the same. Walking into the restaurant you automatically get this hip, throw back vibe. Who knew there was such a young, eclectic crowd lurking around. My mom and I split a cuban sandwich and I got a cup of the spicy brazilian coconut shrimp soup. My dad ordered the tomato soup with the Brie and Apple bruschetta toast.

Just one bite of the cuban and my mouth immediately was enthralled by all of the different flavors. It had roasted pork, black forest ham, swiss cheese, dill pickle, garlic citrus mustard, and all of this deliciousness grilled on a french loaf bread. Lastly there was some sea salt sprinkled on top just for that extra flavor pop. This is one of the best sandwiches I have eaten in a long time. In fact I am still thinking about it and craving it.

Of course while on my trip I had my daily workout routine still in motion. One morning Kristen and I did back to back yoga classes at Core Power Yoga. We started off with an hour long yoga sculpt class where you use free weights while doing your poses and add in blasts of cardio in between sets. Think jumping jacks, burpees, and high knees. All of this is done in a hot room just in case you were not going to sweat enough as is. The class was awesome, hard, and you would have thought you had just done 2 hours of spinning after walking out. After yoga sculpt Kristen and I did an hour of regular vinyasa yoga, still challenging, but nothing compared to what we just had done. The best part is since it was my first time my classes were free and I received a week long pass. They have locations in the bay area, but nothing close to where I live so unfortunately I was not able to go again.

All in all it was a great trip for work, friends, and family. I came home feeling re-freshed and ready to start a new week. Although I am already looking forward to my next trip home.

16Aug2014

Curry Shrimp Recipe

Posted in Recipes by Emily

Let me say, I love curry! Indian and Thai food are always some of my favorite take out dishes on a cold winter night. Something about the warm dish mixed with full bodied spices creates a very comforting feeling. Now although I have to say I crave curry more in the winter, it can also be a great summer dinner as well.

Yesterday my mom and I went to see The Hundred Foot Journey with Helen Mirren. What does this have to do with curry? Well the movie is all about food, with an emphasis on Indian cuisine. The food dishes were visually impact-full and stunning. It made you leave with your mouth watering and a strong desire for some good Indian Food.

This lead me to want to make my easy curry shrimp recipe and share it with all of you. This dish is a lot lighter then most curry fare you find out, but hits the spot all the same. It is easy, filling, and delicious. You can add in other vegetables then what I have mentioned below, this just happened to be what I had on hand. Hope you enjoy!

Curry Shrimp Recipe

1 lbs of Green Beans Trimmed

1 pound cooked shrimp

1 Can Water Chestnut’s

1/2 Onion Chopped

1 cup light coconut milk from a can

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Curry Powder

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool; transfer to a serving bowl.

2. In a large skillet add olive oil and onion. Cook until slightly brown. Add in coconut milk and all of the spices. Next add the shrimp and green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat

3. Ready to serve! I added mine on top of brown rice

16Jul2014

Things I Love This Week

Posted in San Francisco, Things I Love by Emily

What can I say about coffee. I love it. I drink it every morning. Not because I need the caffeine, but I just love the taste and the sipping on something warm. One of my favorite coffee places in the city is Philz. Their slogan is “One cup at a time” and boy can you taste the difference. I typically order the same thing every time I go. However the other day it was a warm afternoon in the city and I decided to try something new. I got their iced mint mojito coffee. Now I am addicted and starting my morning off in a whole new way.

One of my biggest weakness is baked goods. Now I am not one to eat sweets really, but savory baked treats is where I indulge. I could never imagine my life without bread, although I do have to eat it in moderation. It is rare for me to indulge in something like this without an occasion, but the other morning while out to eat for brunch the biscuit looked too amazing to pass up. And it was! I ate the whole thing, no regrets.

The other night after dinner with some of my favorite girlfriends we wandered into a bar in Bernal Heights called Holy Water for a night cap. I immediately became obsessed with their light fixture’s. I might need to re-create this in my new place.

Another morning brunch, this time I went for a little healthier option. Chia seed porridge with peaches and nuts. This was at one of the best brunch places in the city Plow. It also happens to be in my lovely neighborhood too. Get there early though, there is always a long wait.

While walking through the SOMA district I stumbled into this little coffee shop. It felt very New York to me and was a great place to get a little work done while sipping on something warm.

A beautiful bouquet of flowers from my team at work in celebration of my birthday. They are so me and very summer. Love.

24Jun2014

Snacking or Meals- What do you prefer?

Posted in Uncategorized by Emily

Snacking……what can I say about it. I am obsessed. I hate sitting down to eat a full meal. I would much rather graze and eat all day. I love eating, who doesn’t right. So the idea of taking long extended breaks from it throughout the day just does not seem to work for me. I wake up in the morning and before the hunger hits I feel normal. I go to the gym, get ready, grab my coffee, down a bottle of water, and I am able to start my day worry free. Then mid morning the hunger starts to set in and then that is when it all begins.

I typically eat the same thing for breakfast everyday. Some might find this boring or even monotonous. Not me. Every morning I still get excited for what meal is in store for me. Now this is not to say I never switch it up. I try to vary things on the weekend or when I travel, but for the most part I am usually good with eating the same thing most days. Right now my breakfast of choice is overnight oats. If you have never made them then you are missing out! They are sweet, creamy, filling, and amazing. A couple of hours later if I can hold out that long is when the snacking starts.

Sometimes I make a full on meal for lunch. Usually it is when I know I have a packed afternoon and I will have to eat quickly. However if I know I will have time to enjoy lunch then I snack. I vary it up everyday, but some of my favorites are roasted or cut up veggies, dips like hummus or eggplant pesto, crackers, fruit in season, homemade breads, baked tofu, side salads, etc. I like little things that I can just continue to eat throughout the afternoon. One thing I hate is that really full feeling, especially at work. So snacking seems to keep me energized all day.

I would like to say that is the end of my snacking, but oh no. It continues. Next I come home and usually grab some nuts, crackers, and cheese first thing upon entering the door. There are days when my purse does not even make it off of my shoulder before a snack is in hand. Dinner is when I eat my most filling meal of the day. I like feeling full and relaxed at the end of the day. This is also where I like to splurge if I am going to eat something more un-healthy. However I try to save that for going out to eat with friends and just use dinner at home as a time to eat healthy. But let’s be honest, it does not always work.

Now here is the whole point of my blog. I have found an eating routine that works for me. I can’t recommend it for everyone, but through a lot of trial and error I have finally learned how to keep myself happy, healthy, not starving or deprived, and overall just satisfied. I highly recommend everyone spend sometime thinking about their eating routine and really focusing in on what makes you happy. Eating is not just a meal to me, it is so much more then just making my hunger go away. It is the experience of it. Now the only thing I need to work on is learning how not to snack after dinner…….I guess none of us are perfect right 🙂

18Jun2014

Navigating the Un-Healthy

Posted in Food and Drinks by Emily

Every now and again we find ourselves in situations where eating healthy is not easy and sometimes just plain difficult! Thinking back to before my weight loss there was never a moment where I thought about what I was eating. I would eat any and everything I wanted to without a moment of pause for what I was actually putting into my body. If it tasted good and I wanted it I would just eat it.

When I went into weight loss mode and in my early days of maintenance I would obsess about food. My biggest concerns always came down to calories and making sure I was within my set range. I did eat healthy with a main focus on fruits, veggies, and various proteins. However I would also eat a lot more processed foods because it was easy for me to identity their calories and that way I was making sure everything I was eating was fitting into my calorie budget for the day. If I found myself in a situation where there was not a healthy food option or I was not able to see the calories on something I would panic. How was I going to be able to eat if I did not know how many calories something had?!?!

This may sound silly to some, but when food and how you are nourishing your body is all you think about for a while it is hard to not be able to control the situation. Well at least for me. After being in weight maintenance for long enough now I have learned how to work through these situations and the things to look out for in order to make sure I am doing the best I can for my body.

This past week I found myself in a few situations where eating healthy was not as easy as I would have wanted. I was in Arkansas for work and typically I never have a problem eating healthy here as I have a rental car and can go to my favorite Arkansas spots like Panera or grab some things at the grocery store. This week however I was out for our big shareholders meeting and therefore most of the meals there were provided for us.

I am not going to lie and say I have come so far that being in a room with a bunch of un-healthy food does not still make me panic because it totally still does! However now I take a step back, breathe, and have learned to just do the best I can and know I will be back to my normal routine in a couple of days. I thought it might be good to share a couple of my tips for navigating through these type of food situations and what works for me.

Breakfast is by far the easiest one to normally figure out. Most hotels offer oatmeal, fresh fruit, yogurt, or eggs as a healthy option. If you stick to eating these foods you will probably end up feeling full, satisfied, and will not have consumed too many calories. The high calorie foods are going to be the bagels, muffins, fruit juices, sausages, bacon, and waffles. For myself I started each morning off with a big bowl of fruit and either yogurt or an egg white omelet with veggies to get some protein in.

It was lunch and dinner where healthier options were really more limited. Most of the events had a lot of processed or fried foods and main dishes based with bread or pasta. Now of course I did have to end up eating some of these things, but I tried to limit how much I consumed of them and tried to help off set calories where I could. My first go to is always to fill up as much as I can on veggies, lean protein, and fruit. This way you are getting fuller first on the healthier foods and will then hopefully eat less of the higher calories items later. Dairy and condiments can have a lot of hidden calories in them so if I could I choose to get my sandwich or burger without the cheese, avoided mayo and creamy salad dressings, and passed on anything fried. In order to help me escape the dessert table I would just eat a mint or a piece of dark chocolate after dinner. That way I was ending my meal with a little something, but was not indulging every night. Of course I did end up having a cookie one night because sometimes you just need to have a cookie. I know some of these things seem minimal, but over time it is these little things that really do add up. Small changes will eventually lead to big changes if you keep at them for long enough.

15Jun2014

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 6/15/14

Posted in Books and Articles by Emily

World Cup Refs Run 6 Miles Per Game– With the World Cup just kicking off I thought it would only be fitting to include an article on the subject. However instead of having it geared to the players, lets take a look at the amount of work the Ref;s have to do per game. I for one would not have guessed the amount of exercise needed.

Overestimating How Hard We Exercise– We always hear how important it is to make sure we are getting enough physical activity in every week. For adults it is recommended 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise each week. However this article raises the question do adults know what moderate exercise is vs. vigorous?

Protein and Muscle: The Basics– I for one know I need to incorporate more protein in my diet. However if anyone else is like me I struggle on how much should I have and when. This article is short and sweet, but does a good job summarizing how protein helps muscles build.

If We Want People to Eat Real Food, We Must Make It Easier to Eat Real Food- This is more of an opinion article, but I think it has some good points. “If we are going to invest in a broad campaign telling people to “eat real food,” we must also invest in a broad campaign to make eating real food an “easier” choice to make.”

10 Biggest Diet Mistakes– Having been successful with weight loss I have to say I really agree with all of the points made in this article. A lot of this I practice or did when I was starting my journey.

Photo from Huff Post

27May2014

Food Is Bringing Sexy Back

Posted in Food and Drinks by Emily

I love food. Everything about it. The experience of walking into a restaurant, breathing in the ambiance, sitting down to look over the menu, and imagining how each dish will taste. I love the presentation of the food upon it’s arrival, the plate it is served on, and the utensil used to enjoy it. Then of course there is the obvious, how good the food tastes. Nothing beats the first bite of a dish. No matter how many bites come after, it will not taste the same. Therefore I try to savor that first bite every time and stay present in the moment. With that said I wanted to share some of the delicious meals I have had the pleasure of enjoying over the last couple of months. These meals span from Los Angeles up to the Bay area and instead of describing each meal in length, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

One of my favorite neighborhood mexican restaurants. Everything is organic, local, and delightful.

Homemade Moscow Mules from my best friend, served in authentic copper mugs

Los Angeles knows how to serve a good chicken salad sandwich. Made with Truffle oil. Need I say more

Grilled fish tacos, perfect paired with summer sun and a cold beer

Quinoa, beets, and curry eggplant. Perfect combination

Brunch with avocado toast and a poached egg

A light and refreshing simple salad

Strawberry Rhubarb scones. A treat upon arriving and sitting down at what will now be my new favorite brunch spot in the city

Arepas, probably my favorite food on the planet. One filled with eggs, one with potatoes, and one with pork, black beans, and plantains. Perfectly split with a friend

Two words, Shishito Peppers

The Kale Diaries

Living a balanced life of great food, tasty drinks, enjoyable exercise, and finding adventure in a big city

Tag Archives: Food

Things I am Loving This Week

A Tale Of Cheese In Pictures

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 8/24/14

Things I am Loving- Colorado Edition

Curry Shrimp Recipe

Things I Love This Week

Snacking or Meals- What do you prefer?

Navigating the Un-Healthy

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 6/15/14

Food Is Bringing Sexy Back

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