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Tag: spaghetti squash

Calm Reflections, Unexpected Snacks, and Soda Can Flowers

Day 26 of My 28 Day Refocus

Tideview Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 27, 2021

You might think that after five hundred and thirty days of hanging out here in Atlantic Beach, I would be getting bored of some of my favorite places. Maybe it’s that the tide and the storms bring natural variation every day or maybe it’s that I split my focus between the view and the little dude or maybe it’s that I am hardwired to do the same show eight times a week. Whatever the reason, I can say that I am not the least bit bored with the views at Tideview and I hope you aren’t either.

Fishing For Lunch, Tideview Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 27, 2021
Codee, Tideview Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 27, 2021

In The Gardens:

San Marzano Tomatoes and Honey Nut Squash, Upcycle Balcony Victory Garden
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 27, 2021

Who else has had the pleasure of the honey nut squash on their plate? They can be tricky to find, but the small squashes were bred for a chef that was looking for a butternut squash with more flavor and less size….So, basically a honey nut squash is a concentrated butternut squash and they are super delicious and really adorable. You know, if you’re into that sort of “vegetables can be cute” thing like I am. I bought a packet of seeds last year and have had some limited success growing them on the balcony, but as I mention often, I grow things more for the entertainment than the yield…at the moment. Honey nut squash produce these bright, shiny blossoms that make me smile even if they never become squash. As a side note, I can’t get any variety of squash to survive in the garden, but I do have a few peppers holding on.

Gatherer’s Gold Peppers
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 27, 2021
Codee Enjoying an Unexpected Snack
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 27, 2021

On The Streets Where I Live:

High Flamingos, First Street
Neptune Beach, FL – August 27, 2021

Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach share a town line and they are similar in a lot of ways, but there is a little more of the funky beach vibe in Neptune. This particular little patch of front yard is probably my favorite along First Street. The owner is quite an artist about using recycled materials to scatter some fun into native plants beds. They also have wildflowers for the pollinators and a couple of other cute sculptures.

Recycled Flower, First Street
Neptune Beach, FL – August 27, 2021
Neptune Flower, First Street
Neptune Beach, FL – August 27, 2021

Sweating It Out:

I love a quick walk down First Street. It’s a straight shot and there are so many people out running, walking, biking, and roller blading to help move you along. On the way back, a very pleasant older gentleman on a bike remarked, “Now THAT’S what I call a power walk!” While it was a bit startling, his encouragement was nice and reminded me that I hope to hear that same phrase during a load out again soon enough.

On The Plates:

Chicken twice in one day? Almost unheard of for me. 😉 Both meals were really yummy and pretty filling, though. Supper included Applegate Organics Chicken and Apple Sausage, spaghetti squash, roasted cauliflower and orange pepper, basil, olive oil, nutritional yeast and a dash of crushed red pepper. Dinner was shredded chicken breast with roasted eggplant, onion, and grape tomatoes. I threw a couple of over grown arugula leaves that I had on the balcony in there for a little brightness. To round it out and up my fat intake, I had a couple of servings of raw cashews. I also had an apple because I love a little sweet at the end of my day.

Cronometer:

Perfectly on that razor’s edge of the calorie goal for the day….Just the way I like it.

Garmin Says:

Stay safe and moving, y’all!

PS.

Sweet Dreams, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 27, 2021

Eggs, Spinach, and a Chickpea Squash Pancake

I love my eggs for dinner. My 6” cast iron pan fits two large eggs really snuggly and I found a lid that fit the pan just as well. Tonight, I served them over a chickpea and spaghetti squash pancake with sautéed spinach and garlic. I kind of made Chris Morocco’s chickpea pancakes, but instead of just water, I used the same amount of tremendously overcooked spaghetti squash plus an additional 1/4 cup to ensure enough liquid. It added a bit of sweetness and some bonus nutrients…assuming I didn’t cook them all away. 🙂 I also don’t add the oil to the batter like he called for, but I used a tablespoon of avocado oil in the pan, so I definitely got it in the dish.

I mixed a 3/4 cup of overcooked spaghetti squash and 1/2 cup of sprouted chickpea flour with a heavy pinch of sea salt and black pepper. The key is to let it sit for at least an hour in the fridge so that the flour has a chance to absorb the liquid and fully hydrate after it’s combined. After it rested, I cooked the batter in my carbon steel skillet in a tablespoon of avocado oil, but I like to portion it into a small bowl so I can use a brush. I end up having more control of how much oil is used when and where. For instance, I like to brush another layer on before I land the pancake from a flip and, of course, in the pan with the eggs, so I want to make sure that I reserve some. It browned really nicely over medium heat. Some of that might be from the sugar in th squash. These bad boys REALLY like to stick so get a good base of oil or a non-stick and a thin, flexible spatula.

I know you’re hoping that’s butter, but luckily for me, it’s garlic.

I wilted the spinach in the still hot pan and once it cooked down to a manageable amount, I used a micro planer to grate a clove of garlic into the pan. I let it cook for a bit to get some of the moisture out of the spinach and to make sure that the garlic wasn’t raw. I had just a bit of spaghetti squash leftover and a nice piece of garlic that I didn’t grate and they were perfect together. It’s a weird thing that I do, but I like the bite of a little raw garlic… you might want a nice bit of grass fed butter and maybe a dash of hot sauce instead.

Stormy Weather, A New Swimming Hole, and Peeping Flowers

Day 13 of 28 Day Refocus

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, 2021
Enjoying 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, 2021
Jack 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.

Stay safe and moving, y’all!