Day 2 of 28 Day Refocus

It was a pretty overcast morning, but we headed to the arboretum instead of the beach because, frankly, Codee motivated straight for the car after some morning business. I totally understand not being into exercise first thing. Most of the people that I know like to start their day with a workout and I get that, too. It’s great to get moving and “get it out of the way”, but some of us just don’t function like that. The only time that I like running in the morning is if it is a race and there are LOTS of other people involved. My preferred time is in the afternoon and I think Codee is on board with that.

However, I do like to get moving and an easy stroll or walk is my favorite way. During the summer months, I have a few spots that like to frequent and The Jacksonville Arboretum tops the list. They have a bunch of short trails that are almost completely shaded and lots to look at if you are the nature loving sort. It’s also completely dog friendly if they are on a leash and I can usually get Codee into it for at least a mile, even at the peak of his laziness/weight gain/summer heat. The downside is that it’s about a fifteen minute drive from the condo. Of course, Codee has a different perspective and doesn’t see it as a downside, He loves to snooze in the air conditioned backseat. It’s all about how you use your time, right?

The storm cleared as the evening rolled in and it was perfect for a beach walk.

Sweating It Out:

What I Watched:

On The Plates:

Sam Sifton mentioned Gabrielle Hamilton’s piece in The New York Times Magazine featuring her recipe for a sous-chef salad in his newsletter this week. In it, she says, “I don’t question that the greatest meal salad of all time, the chef salad, was created by a chef. The combination of textures and flavors is consummately professional. Sometimes people mistake the salad bowl for a lawless place of disorganized and mismatched ingredients, chopped up and thrown in — dried cranberries on top of pumpkin seeds on top of soggy corn — which offends even me, who stakes no strong claim to her chef bona fides. A salad nonetheless requires a bit of cheffing, a little experienced attention paid to balance, texture and restraint. Not everything tastes better with bacon bits scattered on top.” There aren’t any bacon bits around here, but something tells me that she would not be a champion of this particular plating anyway. Despite the less than stellar photography of this dish, I assure you, the meal salad was great. The cauliflower still has a lot of crunch, adding in texture and the peppery arugula compliments the earthiness of the roasted beets….It’s a favorite combo of mine and I bet it’s not the last time I write that description. I am taking a month off of dairy so I skipped my standard goat cheese, but there is 4oz of shredded, roasted chicken thigh and I mixed in 2tsp of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of champagne vinegar. This salad was a little overdressed, but I definitely didn’t miss the cheese.
Sometimes, when the beets in a dish turn things pink, it is a fun thing. Sometimes, it is not, but it’s almost always delicious and this was tasty.

To wrap it up, I had breakfast for dinner and an apple for dessert. I roasted the sweet potato the other day, so this came together pretty fast. Plus, I got a tiny dose of resistant starch. The unseen heroes of this dish are the 1.5tsp of avocado oil that I used in the pan and my cutting board that I use as a lid. The first teaspoon went in the pre heated pan for the cooked sweet potato and raw broccoli and then, once the broccoli was super bright green, another 1/2tsp for the eggs. Once the eggs were in, I covered it for a few minutes. I was in the mood for pretty runny eggs today. I think the yolk is super delicious with the sweet potato. I wish I got a little more color on the sweet potato, though….notes for next time. 🙂

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Garmin Says:

117 Days Until Load In…Stay safe and moving, y’all!