Leftover Lentil Burger Leftovers

August 23rd, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (5 Comments)

A great way beat the leftover blues is to create something new and different with your uneaten foodstuffs from a previous meal.

Thanks to a big scoop of rolled oats, lentil tacos from Sunday were turned into lentil burgers last night.

Lentil Tacos Turned Lentil Burgers

With oats stirred in to the last of the lentil taco filling and then given a few minutes to sit, they’ll very generously soak up the sauce and thicken up. It’s then easy to form the mixture into patties with your hands.

Cooked in a lightly oiled pan for about 15 – 18 minutes, flipped a couple of times.  Read more...

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Tis the Season to Eat Asparagus. (Almost.)

March 4th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (7 Comments)

Asparagus is not yet in season here in upstate NY, but we’ve been eating it recently despite this small fact because I think I’ve been brainwashed into doing so.

The stores always seem to jump the gun with the holiday decorations and seasonal merchandise – shelves currently loaded with pastel candy and green beaded necklaces well in advance of any bunnies needing supplies to make up baskets or a dude named Patrick getting ready to chase some snakes out of Ireland.  It’s no wonder I’ve had a hankering for spring produce!  I blame consumerism.  Read more...

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Spicy Red Lentil Chili and CSA’s: Totally Related

February 19th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Habits - (10 Comments)

CSA = Community Supported Agriculture.  (Not “Can’t Stand Alison”, thankyouverymuch.)

If this acronym is new to you, in short – a CSA is an opportunity for you, the consumer, to get your produce direct from a local farmer.  Find a farm that offers CSA memberships and you can buy a share of their crops for what will hopefully be a bounty of locally grown fruit and/or vegetables from late spring until mid fall – or whatever the growing season is where you live.  Read more...

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Salad For Breakfast

February 5th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Weight Loss - (17 Comments)

I think it was mid-December when I started looking for an alternative to my typical oatmeal/grain-based breakfast.  Not because I stopped digging oats mind you, but because somewhere toward the end of last year I came to understand that sugar is just no good and I wanted to start eating less of it.

Now before you get annoyed with me and that blasphemous statement, I’m not saying that I’ve stopped eating sugar or bread completely or don’t enjoy sweets.  I’m just not eating sugar (or as the case may be, foods that your body eventually converts to sugar – i.e., grains like rice, pasta, bread) on a daily basis like I have for oh, I don’t know – 31 years?  Read more...

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Say What You Mean

November 26th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (4 Comments)

Within the last year or so here, the Mexican restaurant Chipotle has made its way onto our landscape.  I do enjoy going to Chipotle and it’s one of the few chain restaurants I patronize.

Of course when I say “patronize”, I mean – to frequent as a customer – not that I treat Chipotle condescendingly or anything.

Oh and when I say “frequent”, this would mean on the occasion when there are no picky children in tow. And as the case may be, this means I get there once a month if I’m lucky.  Read more...

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The Story of Saturday

October 17th, 2009 | Posted by Alison Spath in Party Time - (13 Comments)

Once upon a time, I discovered a new salad obsession. Easy peasy avocado salad dressing.

Chapter 1: Smash 1/2 an avocado with fork.

Chapter 2: Stir in Salsa.

Step 1: Smash Avocado Step 2: Stir in Salsa

Chapter 3: Stir in salad fixings of choice.

Chapter 4: Make room in your personal produce section and finish getting ready to run off and hit up yet another open house.

Make Room

Chapter 5: Enjoy salad in car on the way and wonder who turned out the lights?

Lights Out

Chapter 6: Take your hood off because it’s not raining in the car.  Read more...

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It Was Ladies Day

September 1st, 2009 | Posted by Alison in Life - (22 Comments)

So if Saturday was Ladies Night, that must make today Ladies Day! My same group of girls from Saturday went to the zoo together today – except we had the little ones with us and were therefore double the number. 4 adults and 4 kids. 1 : 1 – always a good kid : adult ratio in my book.

Although our nasal passages weren’t pleased with us, we visited the birds upon our arrival this morning. I was a little shocked to find these guys RIGHT THERE, feathers and all, not held back by any cage or fence, just a couple of free birds.  Read more...

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The Early Bird Stays Home with the Children

August 1st, 2009 | Posted by Alison in Fitness - (10 Comments)

My morning run got pushed back to HOT o’clock due to Zak working late and these little ones who insist on calling me mom being up early.

So instead of getting my jog on, I got my juice on.

Do Not Disturb. Juicing In Progress.

Behold the Tower of Juice.

Tower of Juice

When the man finally rose from his slumber I got a move on headed out for what was to be a totally hot run. 5.89 in 48 minutes. It’s a good thing I don’t have testicles because I definitely would have sweated them off today.  Read more...

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I Lost My Jicama

July 29th, 2009 | Posted by Alison in Vegetable Lovin' - (17 Comments)

And no, Jicama is not latin for my “mind”. Or maybe it is.

After our crazy morning we packed up and headed to the park to meet up with our friends for some fun with colors.

Color Wheel

We talked about the color wheel, primary colors, secondary colors, contrasting colors and complementary colors. I like it.

We got rained on and our lesson was cut short, so we walked to our friends house and to play and snack.

My late morning oatmeal held me over for a long time. Around lunch time I ate one of the three apples I packed.  Read more...

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Changes

July 12th, 2009 | Posted by Alison in Life - (7 Comments)

I was hungry sort of early today for lunch. This felt like more a snack than lunch. I made fast guac (avocado and salsa!) with some carrot legs to chomp on.

avocado_bread carrot_legs

A few hours later Maxine and I were headed out to visit a friend. I was hungry and knew I had to eat before we left. In days gone by it would have been pretty typical to grab a handful of Kashi crackers and some hummus as a quick, healthy, out the door snack. I’m not knocking this as a healthy snack option, this is of course better than something from the fast food drive thru. I’ve just come to discover, especially this past week and the disappearance food cravings… any processed foods, organic or not, seem to be what sends me into a downward spiral with craving sugar and more processed carbs.  Read more...

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