Blueberry Almond Muffins and New Balance Gear!

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Yogurt and Berries

Happy Leap Year to me!!

The awesome crew at New Balance generously provided our Reach the Beach blogger team: “Team Off Balance” with enough gear to get us through training AND the relay itself!! Check this out…

The 870v2 Sneakers
NBx Prism Half Zip
Impact Capri
Heathered Short Sleeve
NBx Prism Capri

Icefil Short Sleeve
Get Back Racerback
Prism Running Short
Fun Run Shorts

Tonic Crop Sports Bra
Socks!
PDA Running Gloves
Tri-Viz Running Cap
NGR Bars

Um, wow!

Pictures don’t even do it justice…but that hot pink t-shirt is HOT PINK, and incredibly soft!!

The 870’s are their stability shoe, and I don’t even think these particular sneakers(870v2) are out yet! I’ll let you know how they feel next time I run. I’ve always needed some stability in my running sneakers and this will be my first time trying New Balance since I started running a few years ago.

I even tried on all the bottoms right away. All the material is so soft, and nothing feels like it’s going to fall down, and most have drawstrings! I currently own a pair of nice capris (not NB) but they are a lower rise and always need to be tugged up..annoying. I’m liking the higher rise of these (not high rise, but you know…normal!).

I’ll be sure to get photos of myself when I’m wearing the gear so you can see!

In the meantime, if you want to get some sweet New Balance gear yourself, they’ve provided me with a coupon code for my readers to get 15% off AND free shipping!! Pretty sure even Brian is going to get something after seeing my new items.

From now until March 10, 2012 you can use the code: NBRTB1279GDCT

Awesome right?! I can’t wait to try everything on!! If you have any specific questions about the products leave a comment or shoot me an email

Ok Muffin time.

This was one of those recipes that I had made before and my initial assessment was that they weren’t that great and can’t use them on the blog.

However, that was after a bite when they were still warm. My feeling with “healthier” muffins, is that they taste better once they’ve cooled and flavors come through better. See, the next morning I went to eat one (I mean they were still good to me!), and they tasted so much better!! I was actually bummed I didn’t take photos that first time.

So this weekend when I was craving muffins for the week, I went back to the recipe. Since my initial gripe with them was that I thought they weren’t sweet enough, I added a bit more honey.

Banana muffins are the best kind to make healthy versions of because bananas themselves are so sweet and flavorful, but blueberries, not so much.

These use equal parts almond meal and oat flour so they are a little denser than your standard muffin, but they stay really moist from the almond meal, blueberries, and eggs! Also higher in protein!!

If you have nice fine blanched almond flour then your muffins will be lighter in color and possibly a little less dense, but for now I just buy the cheaper Almond Meal from Trader Joes and it works perfectly fine.

The almond flavor is there, but not too over powering. You can always increase the almond extract a little (that stuff is potent!) if you wanted more almond flavor. These have more of a natural almond flavor rather than an almond extract flavor.

Almond Blueberry Muffins
(makes 12 muffins)

1 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1 cup Oat Flour
1/4 cup Flax Seed Meal
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1/4 cup almond milk (plain or vanilla, unsweetened)
1 tsp Almond Extract (add another 1/2 tsp for more almond flavor)
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp canola oil (or butter or oil of choice)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup slice almonds (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350*

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl (almond flour to salt), whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl beat eggs and egg whites, add almond milk, oil, honey, almond extract, and vinegar. Whisk to combine. Add wet to dry, mix with a spoon until just combined, fold in blue berries.

Distribute batter into a regular 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners.

Top with slice almonds if desired.

Bake for 16-18 min, or until toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Let cool.

(my little “cake tester” from Crate and Barrel)

Enjoy!

I guess this if for bloggers, but have you ever made something “not for the blog” and wish you had taken photos because it came out so good!?

Do you wear New Balance Gear? Like it?? I’ve always liked the company. I used to work right near their Outlet store in Lawrence…that place is awesome!

Lets hope this is finally The Snow for the season and from here on we can move to spring??? Wishful thinking??

How to Keep a Good Thing Going

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Umommy

Last June, my son’s elementary school joined over 300 groups in celebrating the first Flavored Milk Dayof Action. With support from the school principal and the local pediatric medical office, students were given free cartons of white milk and white bracelets imprinted with “MOO.” Our goal was to help kids make healthy choices in a positive environment. If kids mooing and drinking white milk is any indication of success, then it was a great day.

At the Lowell School, we are taking our early success and running with it. With the continued support of the school principal and pediatric office, we will be celebrating Milk Awareness Day for a second time on March 7^th, 2012. But this time, it will be bigger than before:

Everyone loves FREE: As we had done last year, we will be giving out free white milk to all the kids during lunch

Accessorize: We are also giving out free white silicone wristbands with “MOO” imprinted on them

Make it fun: We will be giving out white milk mustaches to the students to wear after lunch

Make it memorable: There will be two school-wide assemblies featuring the school principal and pediatricians. The assembly will feature a demonstration on sugar consumption and why it is important to make healthy food choices.

Healthy partners: The school is also partnering with ChopChop Magazine, a children’s cooking magazine focused on combating childhood obesity and making healthy food choices

Make a statement: Students will help create a giant milk carton and sign a pledge in art class. The giant milk carton and student signatures will be on display in the cafeteria

Share at home: Students will be sent home with an informational flyer to share with parents a week prior to Milk Day

The goal is to continue to raise awareness in a positive way, but also to prepare the community for the Massachusetts regulations that will take effect in August (changing what is on school menus, including the elimination of flavored milk in August 2013). Massachusetts is taking steps to fight childhood obesity. And it’s a welcome change, but we think we can do better. At the Lowell school, we hope to set an example for other schools in the community and surrounding towns. Why wait when change can happen today?

Stay tuned to find out how Milk Awareness Day turns out and our plans to keep the momentum going!

Recipe: Chili Roasted Chicken with Black Bean Farro and Chili Crema

Posted on February 29, 2012 by TheSmallBostonKitchen

Admittedly enough, it all started with an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (my secret guilty pleasure). We were practically drooling over a Mexican joint known for their fiery, authentic dishes and that led to a craving for a hearty meal steeped in south-of-the-boarder flavors.

Instead of keeping it 100% classic, we opted for a slight deviation and swapped out the rice for farro, a substitution that made the whole meal heartier and perfect for a chilly night. Ironically enough, the star of the dish was not the chicken or the rice and beans, it was the chili sauce, the constant thread that tied it all together. Robust and warm with spice, it made its appearance in every component of the dish but in different capacities. With the farro and beans it was accompanied by some tomato paste to stretch it out and make it richer. It also made for a terrific marinade for the chicken, forming a nice, spicy crust when roasted. Finally, the chili sauce made its way into some sour cream to create a cooling, yet still spice-kissed crema. The dish was plated and dotted with fresh cilantro leaves and splashed with fresh lime juice, just before serving.

This dish quickly became a favorite; spicy, hearty and balanced by the different textures and flavors and it totally hit the spot.

Chili Roasted Chicken with Black Bean Farro and Chili Crema
Serves 2-3, comfortably

- 2 chicken breasts, trimmed of visible fat
- Chili Sauce (Recipe follows)
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 cup Farro
- 2 small bay leaves
- 2 TBS tomato paste
- 1 can black beans, drained
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Cilantro Leaves to garnish
- The juice of 1/2 a lime

Preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl, marinate the chicken in just enough chili sauce to coat it evenly. Set aside. Reserve the rest of the sauce for later use. In a medium sauce pan, heat enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the diced onions and a pinch of salt and heat until translucent. Add the farro and 2 cups of water. Add the bay leaves and bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer the farro until it is tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. Remove bay leaves and discard. Add the tomato paste, plus two heaping TBS of the chili sauce. Stir to combine and then fold in the black beans. Season to taste. Add the rest of the chili sauce to sour cream and set aside.

Salt the chicken breasts on both sides and roast until cooked through. Let rest a minimum of 5 minutes and then slice the chicken breast. To assemble, make a small pile of farro and beans, fan chicken slices out on top and top with a spoonful of the chili crema. Garnish with cilantro leaves and and lime juice juice just before serving.

For the Chili Sauce:

- 2-3 dried ancho chilies
- 1-2 chipotle peppers
- The zest of 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander

Re-hydrate the chilies in hot water for about 15 minutes. Using a blender, puree the chilies with about 1/2 cup of the water used to re-hydrate the chilies. Add the lime zest, garlic, cumin and coriander. Puree until smooth.

A Brunch to Remember: Baker’s Best Catering, Greater Boston Area

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Eatliveblog

Have you ever run into one of those restaurants that you only ate at once, but would still list as one of your favorites? Jack’s of New London, NH was one of those for me…it closed down before I could get back. Baker’s Best Cafe in Newton was also one of those, and it also closed down before I got to go back.

So imagine my excitement when I was approached to set up a brunch for the Boston Brunchers with Baker’s Best Catering! You see, they had closed down the cafe, but only to be able to focus on their thriving catering business.

We were lucky enough to be greeted by owner, Michael Baker, and Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz for the majority of our day. While Chef was busy in the kitchen, Michael gave us a personal tour of the space, which was so much better than you ever imagined a catering space would be.

Before building this space, the catering facilities had been located in the basement of the old cafe. When they decided to build the new location they had military consultants come in and watch and analyze the way the catering staff moved and worked. The result is this perfectly designed, optimized chef’s paradise. Honestly, the staff never has to double their path, they can go from dry goods, to cold storage, to freezers to cooking to packing and out the back door. It is really quite impressive.

Equally as impressive is owner Michael Best’s obvious vigour and love for what he does. From the initial goal of creating a “REAL” turkey sandwich, to now employing over 120 catering staff, chefs, cooks, and administrators, Michael has kept his standards of quality at a peak, and some how instilled an equal passion from his staff. Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz

Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz glowed with every morsel that was introduced to us. Her creativity combined with a certain practicality made for the perfect introduction of passed apps, or “Eye Openers” as they so cutely named them.

Bloody Mary Shots w/ Poached Shrimp, Pickled Green Beans and a Celery Salt Rim…joined by Liz of www.eatingplaces.wordpress.com

A couple of the bites that followed have now joined my list of some of the best things that I have ever eaten. The Asian Tuna Tartar in a miso sesame cup with siracha aioli, wasabi greens, and soy pearls had a texture unlike anything I had eaten…in a good way! The sweet potato corned beef hash in a maple brown sugar bacon cup was delicious, but paled next to the other bites. However, more than one bruncher did declare this their favorite bit.

Clockwise: Everything Bagel Bite, Tuna Tartar, Sweet Potato Hash

But now it is time to talk about the bite that I will be dreaming about from here until the end of time….The Everything Bagel Bite. A moment of silence please….This bite was made up of a crunchy everything bagel cup filled with creme fraiche, gravlax, red onion, lemon pearls and frisee. The way the textures and flavors came together in this bite…it was honestly one of my greatest food bites ever.

We returned to the dining room (which was actually Michael’s office decorated by Peterson Party Center). We were delighted to find that the remainder of our meal would be a Chef’s Sideboard Buffet served right in the middle of the kitchen! What an experience! We helped ourselves to quiches, beet ravioli stuffed with queso valdeon and challah french toast with bananas foster, fresh berries, and Vermont cider maple syrup.

This buffet earned an A+ just based on beauty alone. The beet ravioli…genious! It did not prove as bold in flavor as it was in color, but once I added the salad to the beet bite, it was pretty close to perfection. While at brunch, some one tweeted to methat if they didn’t serve us french toast, I should demand it. Luckily I didn’t have to do that. And yes, it was absolutely delicious, the thick challah bread standing up to the perfectly balanced batter.

Beverages provided by Brix in South Boston

I would be remiss if I did not point out the delightful conversation that happened during this brunch. Like any good meal should do, our brunch at Baker’s Best created the perfect atmosphere for enjoyment. And it wasn’t over yet! When it was finally time to leave, the farewell committee had these adorable containers of multi-flavored whoopie pies for us to take home. Carrot cake, peanut butter fluff, peppermint, chocolate and red velvet whoopie pies better than any I have had were the perfect au revoir!

Michael, Phylis and the rest of the Baker’s Best crew put on an unbelievable event for the Boston Brunchers. I have no doubt that their professionalism, passion and creativity pours into every wedding, bar mitzvah, oscar party, and office breakfast that they cater.

Disclaimer: Brunch was provided to the Boston Brunchers free of charge courtesy of Baker’s Best Catering. As always, all opinions are my own.

Peanut Butter Noodles

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Megsfoodreality

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I had an amazing workout after Class Day with Bex tonight at Wellbridge. We did a cardio together, and then I went off to do a couple circuits! It is SO nice to start of the week with a good workout with a buddy!

My workout tonight:

Cardio: 26 minutes on the elliptical [note by this time I had already fast walked home from the hospital & walked to the gym]

Strength:

12 pushups (on smith machine)
10 smith lunges on each leg
12 lat pull downs
10 reverse lunges to a step up and shoulder press

REPEAT 3x

HEAVY SET-20lbs dumbbells!!

12 chest presses with legs in the air
10 deadlifts
10 single leg lunges on each leg
10 reverse grip rows

REPEAT 2x

30lbs. & 25lbs. kettlebells!

12 kettlebell swings
5 kettlebell presses

REPEAT 3x

I got home right in time to meet Dave coming home from his FIRST day at his new job! Yeah! He took Luna on a walk while I got dinner ready- peanut butter noodles. A couple of you have sent me emails asking for this recipe, and when you ask you shall receive Winking smile

Peanut Butter Noodles

1 package of Tinkyada fettucine, cooked
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 tsp. Bragg’s amino acids
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. of agave nectar
1 tsp. Sriracha
large red pepper, diced
small onion, diced
2 cup frozen peas & carrots
medium sweet potato[cooked in the microwave for 6 minutes], peeled and diced
tofu croutons (marinated in olive oil, tsp. of amino acids, and garlic powder).
1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped[optional]

In a large sauté pan on medium high heat, add olive oil, onions, and red pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the pea & carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. In a small bowl, mix together coconut milk, peanut butter, ginger, amino acids, agave nectar and Sriracha, set aside. In a large bowl, add the cooked Tinkyada noodles, vegetables from the sauté pan, sweet potato, tofu croutons, and peanut sauce. Mix well and add the cilantro. Makes 6 healthy servings!

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Fish n’ Chips

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Megsfoodreality

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Tonight for dinner we fish n’ chips: baked encrusted tilapia with thinly sliced rosemary potatoes and arugula salad.

This dinner took about 35 minutes to make and cook – I wish the pictures had come out better so you could see how good this dinner really was!

For the fish:

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place a piece of parchment on a sheet pan. Spray olive oil onto the parchment and place each piece of fish down. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Then, coat each filet with 1 tsp. honey mustard( I used 365 brand). Sprinkle about 1 tbsp. of breadcrumbs(I used gf Manischewitz breadcrumbs, they sent to review) on each filet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Place the pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked.

For the potatoes:

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Thinly slice three medium sized Yukon gold potatoes. Place the slices in a bowl with 2 tbsp. of olive oil, 1. tbsp. of fresh minced rosemary, 1/2 tsp. of salt, and 1 tbsp. of parmesan cheese. Stir to coat . Place the potatoes in a large concentric circle around the sheet pan, and into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until crispy and delicious.

For the arugula salad:

Place 3 cups of arugula in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp .of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Toss.

This Sunday night dinner really hit the spot- so simple yet so darn good!

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I hope you all had a good weekend!

How We Get Work Done

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Megsfoodreality

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For brunch today, I met with a couple of my fellow interns to crank out some work!

Laura, very sweetly, hosted and made an amazing brunch for us all to share!

On the menu:

potato & onion frittata
arugula salad with avocado & red pepper (my contribution)
fresh cut pear and apple slices
modified gluten free coconut muffins

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She has amazing light in her house!!

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My plate with some hot water with lemon to drink- it’s my new favorite!

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Can you see the papers and pen in the background- yep we actually cranked out a good amount of our work! Winking smile

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After a successful afternoon, I came home to work on another assignment… bums!

A Windy Morning

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Megsfoodreality

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After a quick stop at Hemenway to see a pt client, I walked down to the stadium to Nyssa.

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What a day to be walk across the river to the stadium- windy but so beautiful.

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Nyssa and I , after parking at the B-school(argh), got our ‘stadium on’ with three sets of pushups thrown in for good measure! We did sections 37-12, which for the first time since before my wedding, I thought was quite good! We’ll see how we feel tomorrow though Winking smile

After our workout we drove to Uncommon Grounds for brunch! We both ordered a latte to start…

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The first sip is always the best in my opinion- so I had to share them with you!

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I ordered a gf turkey club sandwich that really hit the spot!

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After biding au-revoir to my bud, I met up with my sister for a quick shopping trip and then went home to make dinner for my tired sweetie! His legs are going to be sore from skiing no doubt tomorrow.

For dinner, I roasted sweet potatoes, onions, carrots and apple chicken sausage with a little olive oil. It was perfect on this cold winter night.

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Off to bed I go!

Cheesemaking Class at BCAE (Boston Center for Adult Education)

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Eatliveblog

A while ago, the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) contacted me to see if I would be interested in auditing a course at the center. Of course I jumped at the chance. I have been hearing amazing things about their classes for the last year now, and just hadn’t gotten around to testing it out myself, so now was the chance!

I had a very hard time choosing which class to take. My first choice was to attend one of the celebrity chef “Behind the Line” series…I know, such a cop-out, but they are amazing! Naturally though, the class was already sold out. Next on my list was a beginners Cheesemaking class being offered on a Sunday from 10am – 1pm. Luckily, that class was available and registered I was!

I don’t know why, but for some reason I had a picture of a run-down community center in my head when I pictured the BCAE. What I did NOT envision was the state of the art facility that it is. I think I may have repeated, several times, how impressed I was.

Our instructor, Jessica Sennett, greeted the class and pointed out some of the literature that she had brought with for us to browse. There were all kinds of books on cheese, milk, etc. And one amazing old school cheese cookbook I can’t remember the name of….I need to look into that…

Jessica talked for several minutes on the cheese making process, milk, the pasteurization process, and the chemistry behind cheese making. And some how she managed to make it fascinating, which can’t be easy to do. After the initial “lecture” session, it was all hands on deck!

First up was butter. Do you have any idea how easy butter is to make? Why on earth didn’t I know this sooner? Literally, all you do is pour some cream in a food processor and let it go until it separates. Pour it into a butter muslin (which is like cheese cloth but with smaller holes) lined colander, press it down to release the moisture, put the remaining butter in wax paper and knead in a little salt and voila! Butter!

Next up we made ricotta. Once again I ask, how on earth did I not know how easy this is?! Pour a gallon of whole milk in a large pot with a little lemon juice or vinegar, SLOWLY bring it to 180 degrees while slowly stirring (its all about slow). When it hits 180, you should see the curd starting to form. Pour the mixture through a cheese cloth lined colander. Let drain for an hour….I may have just eaten the ricotta right away…. Jessica also had us demo how to make cream cheese and yogurt. Sadly those have to sit for longer periods of time, so we were un-able to sample these fruits of our labor.

And Jessica did not let anything go to waste! With the leftover whey from the ricotta, she made us delicious pancakes! It was Sunday morning after all…

…and yes, we did all taste the whey as well. Which wasn’t gross like you would think. It actually was pretty good, like a glass of warm milk. I know, even typing about it grosses me out a little, but it did taste good!

We did not leave our class empty-handed either. We took home the ricotta and butter we made, as well as a small yogurt to use as a starter for our own batch at home. Pretty cool.

The classes at the BCAE are not “cheap”. This class would have cost $60 + $20 materials fee. However, you would definitely get your money’s worth for that $80. Jessica was a very high-caliber, knowledgable professor….and she was fun! We made several different items and had take homes. Not too shabby!

I don’t know why I was expecting a much lower level of quality from the BCAE, but I am happy to say that they definitely proved me wrong. I will absolutely take another course there soon. I am interested to find out if all of their instructors are as impressive as this one was…

Boston Center for Adult Education
122 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116
617-267-4430
Twitter / Facebook

Morning Plans

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Megsfoodreality

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This morning, I helped Dave get out the door to go skiing at Wachusett while I took Luna on a walk, and made myself a delicious breakfast of coddled eggs over toast covered with cheese and arugula!

I love Saturday morning breakfast!

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Someone else wanted my breakfast this morning!!!

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Oh LUNA- if we don’t put her puppy bed in our kitchen while we eat she just sits there with this sad puppy face!

DRAMA LLAMA!!

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I’m off to do stadiums – it’s been an awful long time since I’ve seen those cement steps!

I see sore legs in my future!