* – but I could be wrong.

August 27th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (15 Comments)

Let’s start this post by tackling a very important question you surely have:*

What is the difference between a scallion and a leek?

Well, I’m glad you asked because until today I didn’t know either.  When getting ready to write up this recipe I couldn’t remember if the green onion-y things I picked up in our CSA share yesterday were scallions or leeks.  Google tells me that scallions are young onions. Leeks are, well – leeks. I’m fairly confident that what I have here are leeks*, and because I don’t think your pot will explode* or your fabulous dinner party will be ruined* if you use scallions in place of leeks in this Vegan Potato Leek* Soup recipe, I’m going with leeks.  Read more...

Scary, Scary, Quite Contrary

August 22nd, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Motivation - (9 Comments)

Item #177 on my list of Things That Make My Heart Leap Into My Throat:

Mile Marker 24

That would be the 24th mile marker of the Rochester Marathon that is now three weeks away.  THREE! WEEKS! Seeing that freshly spray painted “24” on the marathon course during a bike ride today made me gasp and cover my mouth with my hand whilst laying my other arm across my forehead before pretending to faint.

Holy.  Crap.  They have marked the miles for the race.  We are that close.  Read more...

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gazPACH!!o! Gazuntite.

August 17th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Vegetable Lovin' - (5 Comments)

Don’t be fooled. Gazpacho is not cold, raw soup. That’s a lie. Gazpacho is a vegetable slurpee.

‘Round these parts, tomatoes are in abundance right now. If you too have been looking at the slew of tomatoes on your counter thinking “what the FREAK am I going to do with all of those?!” every time you walk by them – then a tomato garlic cucumber pepper smoothie is for you.

I mean, gazpacho. Gazpacho is for you.

Tomatoes  Read more...

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Energy Lessons

August 14th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (7 Comments)

Potential Energy

Chocolate Chews

These my friends, are fuel. And a pretty yummy fuel at that.

Inspired by Brendan Brazier’s Direct Fuel Bites, I made my own version with coconut oil, medjool dates and cocoa powder. Coconut oil is where it’s at for potential energy, which is what makes these little suckers so powerful.

Chewy Chocolaty Chewy Chews (catchy, eh?)

10 medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 – 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Throw all ingredients into the food processor and then stand back to observe it’s Kinetic Energy with awe and wonder.  Read more...

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I Heart Cereal

August 11th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (9 Comments)

I love cereal, but I rarely buy it. Because if I bought it, I would eat it. And the kids would eat it too. Now of course I don’t think cereal is inherently bad or purposefully tries to be evil, but it’s just too damn easy to sit down and eat 600 calories worth of Heart to Heart in a single sitting before you finally stop going back to the box for another bowl.

What? Is that only me?  Read more...

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Operational Beautiful the Book – A Giveaway

August 9th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Good Reads - (28 Comments)

A little over a year ago Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point spawned a little side project blog she called Operation Beautiful. It all started with a post-it note that she left on a bathroom mirror – a note that said “You Are Beautiful” after having a not-so-great day feeling pretty crummy about herself.

She blogged about it and suddenly women all around the world started doing the same thing. Many of these women started sending Caitlin pictures of their post-it notes in places like the gym, the grocery store, the library – any place a woman (or man!) might see it and be reminded that they are awesome.  Read more...

Four Years Ago Today

August 4th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Parenting - (16 Comments)

I looked at the calendar just now and realized that four years ago today, I quit my day job.

With one month to go until the impending arrival of Thing 2,

Birds Eye View

I swapped out dress slacks and make up and opted for dress up and make believe.

Dancing Girls

This is the longest job I’ve ever held.

Hold On

It’s been the most challenging.

Don't Take My Picture

But it’s also been the most rewarding.

Good Sharing

Some days start out easy.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Some days start out rough.

Bright  Read more...

Ratatouille, Ratatouille

August 1st, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (14 Comments)

Whenever I say “Ratatouille”, I always want to say it twice and then the chorus Rock Me Amadeus starts to play in my head.

What? Is that just me?  Probably.

So… Ratatouille. Yeah. I’m fairly sure “Ratatouille” is French for “what the hell am I going to do with all these summer vegetables?”

My mom has been making Ratatouille and raving to me about it during recent phone conversations.  When she described what went into it, I realized that I had every single one of the ingredients in my overstocked-with-produce fridge.  That’s what I call vegetable fate.  Read more...

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