Riverside Arts Market Jacksonville, FL – February 20, 2021
Saturdays are farmers market days, or is it “farmer’s market?”…either way, this week, I went to the Riverside Arts Market before heading to the Dig Local Market in Jax Beach. I like some of the produce farmers at the Riverside Market and it’s great crowd training for Codee. We typically cruise through all of the lanes before heading to the veggies. We came home with an eggplant, a small butternut quash, a small spaghetti squash, and a few zucchini. Like most outings, we aren’t there for terribly long and I try not to get too close to people, but it’s nice to hear some live music. If you can believe it, there was a gentleman playing a Kenny G. song on his saxophone this week. I was glad a had some tip money.
Riverside Arts Market Jacksonville, FL – August 21, 2021
In The Gardens:
Another sunflower has fallen, or rather, was pushed over by me before it could fall over on its own. It’s hard to believe that two months of joyful entertainment could come from a handle of small seeds and a little patience.
Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021How The Mammoth Have Fallen, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021
On The Beach:
It disappeared behind the clouds shortly after I took the last shot, but it was a clear enough evening to have a beautiful view of the Blue Moon rising.
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021Blue Moon Rising Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021Blue Moon Rising Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021
Sweating It Out:
What I Watched:
I got my baking fix in TV form today with Christina Tossi’s Netflix series Bake Squad. The special guests rarely choose the entry that I would pick if the Bake Squad was baking for my party, but all of their desserts are so creative that I certainly wouldn’t turn any of them down.
On The Plates:
Some things aren’t exceptional photography subjects, but are so yummy and so fast that I don’t care. I had my standard green drink as my first small meal of the day and I continued with two ridiculously fast and simple plates. The carrots and tomatoes were raw when I started, but the chicken and the broccoli were cooked and standing by in the fridge. I cooked the carrots for a bit solo and then added the rest to reheat and bring it together. For dinner, I had a Chickapea spiral bowl with mushrooms and green beans that I sautéed while the noodles were cooking. Dessert was a favorite combo of fresh blueberries and raw cashew pieces. I could have used a handful or two of greens somewhere, but an otherwise excellent day….
Cronometer:
Garmin Says:
An all around solid day. I like that 20,000 is fairly consistently normal again. My treadmill desk helps.
Saturday Night Snoozing, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021
Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Jacksonville, FL – August 20, 2021
It seems silly to drive for a walk, but the sun can be pretty relentless around here…when it’s not stormy…even in the morning. I suppose we could get going earlier, but we’re not that kind of team. As expected, the best place to find the shade is at the Arboretum, but even there we’re doing fairly short morning activities. As many times as I have been now, I still see something new and beautiful every time wander through their trails. We had kind of hit a stride when I took this photo and, full disclosure, the shot was for the flower, but I guess this guy was out for a stroll as well.
Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Jacksonville, FL – August 20, 2021
In The Gardens:
Guitar Case Greens, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 20, 2021
It got so much bigger than I expected! I love growing chard even if I don’t usually eat what I grow. I lose a lot to weather and I’m on borrowed time now, but I think it’s so pretty with the bright, contrasting stalks.
Honey Nut Squash, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 20, 2021
On The Beach:
We’re deep into the rhythm of August with heavy mornings, afternoon thunderstorms, and clear perfect evenings, so I have been trying to make up for our lack of distance during our evening walks. I have varying success with the exercise part, but we have fun on the beach regardless of heart rate. It’s never a waste of time to come to the beach.
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 20, 2021
Sweating It Out:
My pace today varied from 4.2 to 6.0 with the majority of around 5.6 and I held 3lb dumb bells for 4 of the 5 miles. Nice and even…unlike the weather outside.
What I Watched:
I am loving all the female driven content! Especially, shows that are discussing some of the realities of breaking into a predominantly male environment when you are not one of them. Specifically, the emotional care that we are expected to present to our older male counter because they might get their feelings hurt when they realize they aren’t in charge anymore. This was a good watch and Sandra Oh delivers a great character. I hope they make Season 2.
On The Plates:
Today’s menu was all about the heat of summer. My standard green drink, raw veggie snacks, and a delicious blended frozen blueberry cashew banana jar (phew…I need a better name and not Nice Cream). Okay, that was my biggest calorie meal, but supper was the only one on a plate. The other day, I listened to a Leslie Jordan interview and he mentioned that he makes chicken salad a lot and now that I have made my own mayo, I’m all about it. I wish I had hard boiled eggs in the fridge like his mama used to use, but this version has capers, tons of sauteed leeks, and a touch of Dijon. Complimented by some veggies, it makes the perfect summer plate. Maybe I should have eaten those mushrooms a few days ago, but they were still tasty. It was just a snacky kind of day which isn’t terribly unusual for me. This is why logging is so important for me though, because if I’m not paying attention, the snacking can get out of hand…pun intended. 😉
Cronometer:
Garmin Says:
Keep calm and carry on or something like that… I know it’s redundant, but I’m feeling really proud of my consistency nearing the end of Week 3.
A Crystal Clear Morning, 7th Street Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021
We had a great walk through the neighborhood to the beach this morning and Codee was super excited about pretty much all of it, especially whatever he found in the sand under the pier.
7th Street Public Beach Shower Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021Under The Pier, The Cloisters Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021Neighborhood Love, 10th Street Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021
Parks and Recreation:
Dutton Island Preserve Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021
I took a run out to Dutton Island in the early evening. It’s one of my favorite routes, but for whatever reason, Codee doesn’t ever want to walk the trail, so I thought it would be ideal to head out there solo. It was the perfect time of day for it, too. Of course, the mosquitoes agreed, so I was definitely motivated to keep the snapshots short and move along.
Dutton Island Preserve Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021Dutton Island Preserve Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021
Sweating It Out:
A little warm, but I loved it. I stopped a bunch to take photos and then to water the plants at the garden on the way back home. I almost always wear my Camelback vest and today I was especially grateful for it. I broke the resistance moves into two teeny tiny circuits today, one in the morning and one before bed.
Podcast of The Day:
Okay, obviously this podcast is a little heavy, but I can get into that every so often. This episode, in particular, was really personal for me for a lot of reasons. I love the conversation about the different faces of quitting…some things you quit because they are simply hard and some things you quit because they don’t serve you, yet we use the same word for both regardless if the outcome is positive or negative.
On The Plates:
After the standard brunch green drink, the meals accidentally resembled each other in palette and palate and a lot of that can be blamed on how deliciously ripe the pint of sun gold cherry tomatoes that I bought are. I can’t believe that I was able to restrain myself from eating the entire pint today, but I actually had to eat these ones because they likely won’t make it to tomorrow. I don’t put my tomatoes in the fridge, so when they are super ripe, there really isn’t any time to waste. These are like candy, so I didn’t want to wait. Okay, moving on. For supper, I had the sun golds along with salmon salad, Mary’s Gone Crackers Classic Seed Crackers, sugar snap peas, and arugula. Dinner was with baked chicken breast, Chickapea Linguine (it’s a brand, not a typo), cauliflower, green beans, and extra virgin olive oil.
Cronometer:
That’s what I call right on the razor’s edge of not meeting the goal…I am trying to stay under 1500 calories five days of the week and 1700 for the other two days. I squeaked in right under the wire, but it was a super yummy day. Those tomatoes….
Garmin Says:
Bumping my pace really kicked that calorie number up. Plus, it was really fun to run in the woods. 🙂
Happy hump day! Is that still a thing? If I had to choose a hump day on the road, it would be Friday. We’re typically settled in the city by that point and hitting the groove before a weekend of shows. They’ll be plenty of time for that madness soon enough, but around here, it’s still summer vacation. Codee’s path to fitness is not quite as quick as one might like, but he is showing significant improvements in his overall energy as we continue to drop the daily dose of prednisone. He’ll always be my food dude, though.
“So…this is not a food thing, then?”, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021
I was reminded that I have to work on his manners when people come and go from the condo in a big way this morning. I had a contractor come to give me an estimate for some renovations and he gets worked up now when people come to the door. He calms down fairly quickly, but the whole process starts again if they leave and then re-enter his line of sight. He wasn’t protective before and he’s not in the least bit aggressive, but he is loud and it stresses him out a bit. On the other hand, it stresses me out a lot, but I remind myself that adding to his nervous energy is the exact opposite of helpful and take a deep breath. It’s a delicate line because, as I am sure you can imagine, I do, kind of, like that he responds, but we’re going to work on fine tuning it.
In The Garden:
Heavy Headed Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021
From ginormous flowers to tiny trees to naturally hideous kale plants, it’s a weird in between time in northeast Florida. I think the tallest of these guys has given it everything he has, though! I wonder if the massive amounts of rain that we have had recently just soaked the whole thing. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers, but when they get droopy, I feel like it’s sad for everyone to keep them around. Like, I should let the poor plant keep some dignity and go out with no one watching… Also, I am afraid that it’s going to come down during a thunderstorm unexpectedly. I don’t want any complaints from the neighbors about a 9’ sunflower blocking the driveway. I wonder if I’ll need my tiny hacksaw. Tune in tomorrow to see how I fold it into the Rogue.
Tiny Plants, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021
I think if I can keep these guys alive through the heat, they might make it through the fall. The big pepper plants still have peppers on them, but the kale is in pretty rough condition, however, it is still growing new leaves and in my garden, that means hope. I think it’s growing back from the last big harvest in a really unique way. None of the other plants in the garden have side offshoots. I hope she makes it.
Lacinato Kale and Gatherer’s Gold Sweet Peppers Dig Local Communtity, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021
Sweating It Out:
Feeling hot, hot, hot… I am grateful for the luxury of my treadmill for so many reasons. It’s a much better practice to spend some evening time on the treadmill than on the couch. The silver lining to living alone is that I can watch whatever I want while I trot along. To boost the calorie burn a bit, I held my 3lb dumb bells for four of the five miles.
Okay, I swear that I am not completely obsessed with Jason Bateman, but since they mentioned this movie on Smartless, I wanted to check it out. It’s entertaining, but I’d watch Ozarks again before re-watching this one, for sure. I definitely know people that have that seriously competitive spirit, though!!
On The Plates:
If it ain’t broke…the green drink brunch continues, but in some shocking news…today, I mixed it up and added some bonus cucumber. A co-worker of mine called it “crunchy water” one time and I think that it’s a much better name for them. I like to be fancy and buy the English cucumbers when they aren’t too soft. It often feels like I am the only one who eats veggies as a snack…I mean, I also love a pickle, but maybe it’s that the fresh cucumbers always seem so refreshing. Maybe, I don’t drink enough water. Does anyone else love to eat salted slices of cucumber? At the end of the day, I thawed some plums from a farmers market a few weeks ago that I had tucked in the freezer and I added cashews back into my life for the first time in four weeks. I missed them so much. Nuts are definitely my binge weakness though, especially since it’s really easy to lose count of how many I have had. I’m going to keep measuring, tracking, and for sure posting because that accountability really helps me make better choices. Thanks for that. 🙂
On to dinner. I had a Hot Chicken Arugula Salad with Chickpea Leek Squash Fritters. It sounds super complicated, but it’s not. I mean, it could be but it wasn’t. I added some Seite hot sauce to a cooked, shredded chicken breast that I had in the fridge. Then, I used what was left of my over cooked spaghetti squash and mixed it up really well with some chickpea flour, sautéed leeks, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper and tucked that back in the fridge alongside the mason jar of marinating chicken…is it still marinating if it’s already cooked?… hmmm… Anyway, they both joined the already roasted cauliflower that I cut into bite sized pieces. When it was time for dinner, I cooked the fritters in some avocado oil on the stovetop, chopped some celery, put the arugula on the plate, and piled on the chicken. I cheated and filled in a fake sauce because I thought it would look better and because most people have a ranch or blue cheese dressing that they like. I wasn’t in the mood for a dressing, but you should use one of those if you are.
Jack Russell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021
We headed out for a neighborhood walk this morning and hit up our favorite parks. The water is starting to recede a bit, so we moved a little faster this morning. The dangerous part about walking during the summer storm season is that, sometimes, you think it’s a safe path through the grass and the next thing you know, you are stepping into an ankle deep puddle that was cleverly disguised by said grass. It reminds me of trick puddles on NYC street corners…you think they are snow and ice, but you are wrong…and now your shoes are wet. Wet sneakers are pretty much a daily occurrence around these parts no matter the season, I have learned…and Codee just suffers through lots of baths.
Howell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021“Maybe I can get in over here…” – Codee Howell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021Howell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021
In The Gardens:
It’s still too hot to move these to the garden, but we’re getting close. Most of the sprouts are San Marzano tomatoes, with one tiny Purple Peacock Broccoli sprout in there, and they mostly came up really fast. As I have mentioned before, my balcony faces east, so I get great sunlight in the morning. The end of the direct sunlight comes right around 12:30, saving them from baking all afternoon. They lean so far towards the sun that I have to keep rotating the pots to keep them growing straight.
Full Pots, The Upcycle Balcony Victory Garden Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021
On The Beach:
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021
Sweating It Out:
Above 95 degrees outside means an inside treadmill wog with 3lb dumbbells.
What I Watched:
What a collection of footage he has! I may have only been 8 years old when Top Gun came out, but I feel like his movies were such a huge part of my teenage years. I mean, come on. How great are Willow and Real Genius?
On The Plates:
Taco Tuesday!!! These were Lola Farms chorizo tacos with sauteed leeks and homemade pickles. I served them with some zucchini slices that I brushed with avocado oil and broiled for about 15 minutes. Truth be told, I’m guessing at that number because I really just keep my eyes on it. The broiler and I have a history and I have learned the hard way that I shouldn’t get distracted while I have something under it. It’s best to just check it often because it might have been closer to 10 and, anyway, your oven will be different. Or, you could grill the zucchini and that would be delicious. I’m not allowed to have a charcoal or gas grill here…HOA rules say electric only…so the broiler is the way to go for me. I also had my daily green drink and peanut treat, along with a quinoa bowl with very little imagination and thought, but I was hungry and it did a fantastic group of fixing that problem.
Cronometer:
Well, I am consistently a woman who loves hers carbs…so, I have that part down.
Garmin Says:
Tuesday numbers are my favorite. Nothing even close to the realm of steps that I’ll see once I am back to loading in on Tuesdays, but a good start.
“What does ‘torrentially f*ing pouring’ mean, Food Lady?” – Codee The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
The storm lasted most of the morning, but passed in time for the farmers market at Jack Russell Park. This Sunday market is new, but in the park where the Saturday Market used to be. At least, where it was during most of the pandemic….it’s about a half a mile from where I live. The organizers have had lots of location and schedule changes in the last year and a half. I’m not sure of any of the back story, but I like that our favorite vendor, Kim with Lola Farms, is closer to the condo every other week. We skipped the Saturday market because of the rain, but Codee loves seeing her and hanging out for a bit.
This is getting out of control…😉, Jack Russell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
He also loves that the park is still flooded. This was really hilarious and adorable until I started to feel the wrath of the fire ants whose home I had just, unintentionally, destroyed with my shoe. They are SO fast!!!!!! I made a very rapid retreat to the car, which was luckily very close and a straight shot. Super grateful that I threw a towel in the front seat and that Codee was on his long leash, I desperately swatted at them as they continued their frenzied biting. How can something that small move that fast?? At least I don’t seem to have any adverse serious reactions to them…just a bit itchy for a day or so, but ugh, that crawly feeling stays with me for hours!!! Our evening walk was a touch less exciting, but involved a lot more water.
The storms have mostly moved on… Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
On The Streets Where I Live:
Neighborhood Love, Beach Blvd. Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021Neighborhood Love, Oceanwalk Drive Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021Tree Fish, Beach Blvd. Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
Sweating It Out:
It was super fun to be back outside tonight for my 5 miles. The air was still a little heavy, but the earlier cloud cover and time of day made it perfection for me in terms of temperature. I mean, don’t get me wrong…I still looked like I got caught in a simmering downpour when I finished, but it felt amazing
Podcast Of The Day:
While everyone is on a summer break, my standard podcasts are all about advertising for other shows in the form of “Guest Episodes” or “Presents” series. I think I will check out some of the other episodes of Homemade, but I have to say that Leslie Jordan sets the bar a little high. His voice is like an audible hug. I want to eat chicken salad and drink sweet tea on the porch while listening to him tell stories of the old days.
On The Plates:
I’m bored of mentioning my daily green drink, but I’m digging having one less decision to make about what to eat every day. The consistency of my schedule is really fantastic these days and blending the first couple hundred calories of day fits in perfectly. It also helps with my water intake, which I am notoriously bad about regulating. Supper was a grain bowl with quinoa, zucchini, mushrooms, parsley, and the spicy version of the Moroccan red pepper sauce, harissa. I threw a grated up glove of garlic in there, as well, and even though it’s not listed in my food log, some avocado oil. Dinner was some ground pork smothered cabbage that I had in the freezer with a couple of fried eggs. I didn’t photograph it because I dramatically screwed the plating and I think I am going to have the same thing tomorrow anyway.
Cronometer:
It’s the end of Week 2 of my challenge and I have stayed on my calorie goals successfully for both weeks! It’s a nice self esteem boost to say that. Knowing that I have kept in line with what i said I was going to do makes me stand a little taller. Does that sound so silly? Well, maybe, but it’s true. Eating is never just about fuel for me, so like most people, I have a complicated relationship with food. I often turn to it to provide comfort or entertainment and, while that’s not always trouble, it’s so easy for it to become routine….A.K.A. a vicious cycle. This feels so much more balanced… A note from above, not that anyone is critiquing my program here, but I used some avocado oil in the dish that I made for supper. I didn’t note it in the food log because it was leftover from an amount that I logged yesterday…like an oil savings account…😉
Garmin Says:
I missed the bonus point goal, but ended the week content just the same.
Fort Caroline, Timucuan Ecological Preserve Jacksonville, FL – August 14, 2021
We had a quite a few quick outings today, mostly scheduled around breaks in the rain. I took us up to Fort Caroline this morning for a little stroll, but we didn’t stay long. The afternoon took us to the beach and then an evening walk to a couple of our favorite parks where Codee discovered his favorite benefit of Florida summer rain…flooding.
Sky Art Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021Enjoying The Breeze, Cloisters Pier Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021
Parks and Recreation:
Jack Russell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021“Don’t mind if I do…”, Jack Russell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021Jack Russell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021
Sweating It Out:
Just fast enough to get my heart going in the aerobic zone, but I could chat at this pace for hours. It was a nice, peaceful, evening jog.
What I Watched:
Nothing like watching a baking show during your six week added sugar break while on the treadmill. Really not much of what I do is normal, I guess, so… I learned about Christina Tossi from an actor on Dear Evan Hansen when they recommended her Milk Bar episode of A Chef’s Table. Instant fan, to say the least. She hosts this one, but they put together a fun team of people. Everyone is specialized in a different discipline of the dessert world and they are competing against one another to win the guest’s choice of best dessert for their upcoming special event.
On The Plates:
Remarkably, I am still digging my daily green drink as my first small meal of the day and I like to try to follow that with some actual greens later on in the day. This was a super quick way to do it. I made a really fast lemon vinaigrette in a mason jar and I had just over 2oz of Butcher Box Ranch Steak left, so I sliced it and tossed it in. I also added a serving of quinoa that I had in the fridge, stirred everything up, popped a lid on it, and put it back in the fridge for a few hours. I put it on a bed of balcony garden greens for a bright summer supper.
You know I love my eggs for dinner. Tonight, I served them over a chickpea and spaghetti squash pancake and sautéed spinach and garlic. I kind of made Chris Morocco’s chickpea pancakes, but instead of water, I used some tremendously overcooked spaghetti squash. It added a bit of sweetness and some bonus nutrients…assuming I didn’t cook them all away. 🙂 I also don’t add any oil to the batter, but I used a tablespoon of avocado oil in the pan, so I definitely got it in there.
Cronometer:
It was one of those days when I couldn’t believe the numbers. I had that moment of, “There’s no way the calories came in as low as they did.” I re-checked and, apparently, it’s the true. Now seems like a good time to remember that calorie counting is about as inaccurate of a “science” as you can find. Labels can be up to 20% off and, even though I am weighing all of my food for this challenge, there’s really no guarantee that a.) the info in the app is correct and b.) that my body is going to process and react to that food exactly as a bomb calorimeter would. Seems suspect, but it’s a good practice for me for a lot of reasons. Having said all of that, it seems it was a pretty good “volume eating” day, to use the newest diet phrase trend I saw the other day…like we need another one…. Long story short…I felt like I ate a lot of food, but it was not a lot of calories. 🙂
Garmin Says:
It’s very frustrating when I notice how close I am to a round step number after midnight. Only sixty nine steps shy of 25,000. That’s like, one more trip to fill up my water glass…bummer. Maybe it’s time to officially up my goal considering it’s 15,000.
Atlantic Beach Dog Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021
We had a little bit of time back at the Atlantic Beach Dog Park. When I first started bringing Codee here he didn’t know how to swim and he would jump off of this wall to run with other dogs…Of course, he would land in a sliding face plant, but he never seemed to mind. He’s way calmer now, but he still likes to be up high.
Atlantic Beach Dog Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021
In The Gardens:
Gatherer’s Gold Sweet Pepper Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021Purple Tomatillo Sprouts Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021
On The Beach:
I haven’t seen Codee jump in a long time…I really wish I had a video of it because he, absolutely, did NOT expect this guy to be alive!!!
Unexpectedly Alive, Codee and A Crab Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021Clearing Up Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021
Sweating It Out:
It was such a beautiful day that Codee and I spent most of it outside. He’s still not feeling the consistency, so I pushed the exercise part of my day into the evening. Not going lie, there’s something nice about just trotting along while you watch people bake epic desserts on TV. It’s, oddly,, very relaxing to me.
Podcast of The Day:
This is one of those episodes that I think is really good if you are just trying to dip your toe into the “health space.” The conversation is about taking an active participation in the regulation of your blood sugar. Like most things, there’s a product, but the topic of blood sugar balance and inflammation is relevant to so many people’s struggle to taking back control of their health.
On The Plates:
In the interest of posting a plate a day for this challenge, I give you a shot of my dinner, but it’s really not anything to write home about, so to speak. As my boss Buist would say, “They can’t all be winners, right?” It’s the end of the week and the farmer’s market is tomorrow and 10% off produce is Sunday, so this was a meal from the freezer. I had some overcooked spaghetti squash that froze a couple of weeks ago because I wasn’t sure what to so with it, so I mixed a bit of it into some quinoa and frozen peas. It gave it a bump of sweetness and maybe a few nutrients without a lot of calories. The veggie burger is okay, but not really anything exceptional and you can see that it was having a difficult time staying together. I had some harissa, homemade mayo, and balcony greens with it though, so that helped a lot. For 15 minutes of work, it did a very nice job even if it will never be a five star plate. The photography only got worse as the plates went on. I had peanut oatmeal scramble for dinner which is rolled oats, peanut protein powder, and eggs. I assure you this does not photograph well even under the best of circumstances. I added a couple of frozen plums because I could…I shouldn’t have. They were really yummy, but definitely didn’t help my artistic endeavors…Good thing food doesn’t always have to be beautifully plated to be nourishing and tasty, right?
Cronometer:
A little light on the protein side, but a pretty solid day in terms of the calorie and macronutrient goals.
10th Street Walk Out Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021
Good morning!!! What a glorious view, right? Now that I have been able to spend my second summer here at the condo, I have grown to love it more than I ever thought possible. It’s ridiculous to imagine that I found this little oasis by using the “Draw” function on Zillow. This leap of faith has worked out pretty well so far and, truthfully, I don’t even begin to take full advantage of what my town offers. Maybe that’s part of it, as well…I can, safely and happily, keep to myself around here and never get bored of the landscape and I am so very grateful for that, especially now.
A Busy, Late Summer Morning Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021
Codee likes a fair bit of distance, too.
Codee Coolin’ Down Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021
From sea to sea… No, I’m just kidding, but we did take a quick trip out to Dutton Island after the beach. I wanted to wander the woods for a few minutes, but Codee was more interested in the high tide.
Dutton Island Preserve Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021
And… a little reminder that love can be found wherever you want to see it.
10th Street Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021
In The Gardens:
Speaking of visitors and keeping company…You never know who might come by for a visit to the Pea Rack, which is really just an old closet shelf that a neighbor threw out, but the peas that I grew really liked climbing it…Anyway, it doubles as a place to hang my bag and meet spectacular folks like this creature…
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021
I didn’t edit anything about these pictures or change any of the phone’s camera settings before I took them and they were taken moments apart. Yet, it’s remarkable to me how they can seem like they were very different environments.
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021
Sweating It Out:
It was too hot to hit the streets today and it was a resistance training day off. An inside wog kept me on my goals.
What I Watched:
I really enjoyed her first special, Nanette, and this one did not disappoint. It is a really good thing that I was not actually running on the treadmill while watching this one. I definitely would have bit it a couple of times if I was. She is funny!!
On The Plates:
It was a day full of veggies. For supper, I had roasted chicken, chickpea spirals, broccoli and extra virgin olive oil. So simple. So yummy. I find that the key really is seasoning my food properly, but I am a veggie lover all the way. The chicken adds even more fantastically filling protein and tasty fat. The only thing that I actually cooked today was the broccoli and the pasta. Everything else that I had today was what most people would call, leftovers. I didn’t photograph dinner because it was just thrown together…not that this wasn’t, but I digress. I had some leftover steak, beets, asparagus, and tiny carrots from the garden, but it was not really a meal so much as food that I like in a bowl. I didn’t even heat it up… I ended the day with a natural sugar laden, tart and sweet, blended frozen pineapple and banana jar. I really don’t love the term “nice cream”, but I can’t decide what to call it….I sure do love them, though.
Cronometer:
I finished entering the last few things and I realized that I haven’t had this many calories in one day in almost two weeks. I’m totally a volume eater…as most of you know, but this can quickly morph into binge eating depending on mindset and how you want to define things… Anyway, it’s a pretty gray line, but today was not a binge. It was just so much delicious food! Three solid meals, including two meat based which is VERY unusual for me.
Garmin Says:
I’ll take middle of the road….not great, not bad. Solid and acceptable, though.
At the moment, I have paused my Butcher Box subscription because I buy most of my meat directly from Kim at Lola Farms in Lake Butler, FL, but I am still working my way through the last pieces of the last couple of Butcher Box orders and I love their products. (Side note: I’m really grateful for my three freezers.) This plate is 4oz of their grass fed ranch steak. They come two per package and I seasoned them the night before with a bunch of sea salt and left the plate uncovered in the fridge. Ah, the beauty of living alone….unsealed raw meat, but I don’t have to worry about anyone touching it or have any serious cross contamination concerns here at home….
Mine is made by Misen.
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The 6.5qt model is great for me.
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I preheated both my carbon steel pan and the Ninja. The former over a medium high burner and the latter to Bake 350degrees. Now, I know that you are supposed to bring your steaks up to room temp before you add them to a hot pan, but I pretty much never remember that part. They came out of the fridge and got a quick dash of ground black pepper. Once I seared the steaks on both sides, I transferred them to the Ninja to finish cooking. As soon as I took the steaks out of the skillet, I put the trimmed asparagus in, added about a quarter cup of water and covered it with my cutting board to steam the asparagus…Bonus: This part helps clean the pans from the steaks. 😉The asparagus only take a few minutes to cook. Take a peek and move them around a little. They will change color. I like mine bright with a good deal of bite left to them. I’m not a big fan of flopping asparagus, in general, but cook it to your liking. Most people aren’t a fan of lightly salted steamed veggies on their own, so if that is you, add some olive oil, grass-fed butter or melted ghee.
I was reading Christina Chey’s Bon Appetit newsletter about the unglamorous eating habits of a recipe developer the other day and, on that note…Let’s talk about the weirdness underneath that delicious piece of meat…It all started when I bought a leek at the grocery store and decided that I wanted to make cauliflower and leek mash with a bit of my latest obsession, nutritional yeast, for a little “cheesiness” and that’s where I should have stopped….but I didn’t…I had two egg whites leftover from making mayo and I figured, “Great. Protein. Perfect.” So I whirled it all up in the food processor and I had a very heterogeneous mixture…definitely not fit to call a mash. ”No worries…I’ll make pancakes with it. The pan is right here…” Back on track, everything seemed great until there were some bad words uttered during an ill fated attempt at flipping, but after some time over the heat, the story ends with a rather interestingly delightful scramble that I can only describe as pillowy and full of umami…. Not bad for a failure, but I think I’ll tuck this side dish in my back pocket until I reintroduce dairy next month.
Back to the steaks…The ones that I got were very different in thickness and, while I could have done my own butchering to even them out, I did not. Instead, I used my trusty meat thermometer and checked them for an internal temp of 135 degrees. They had DRASTICALLY different cooking times…about 15 minutes for one of them and 22 for the other, so keep your thermometer handy. As always, I let them rest before I slice them. Ranch steaks are super lean, so add a sauce if you like, but they are perfect for me with nothing but the sea salt and pepper.
Not a blockbuster recipe, but you don’t need one when you have good ingredients. Simple, quick, easy, and delicious.
