Re·lax·a·tion
noun
The state of being free from tension and anxiety.
Synonyms: calm, tranquility, unwinding

In a world that seems to be pulling us in different directions at all times, it can be a seemingly impossible task to step away and clear our minds. Setting aside time for relaxation gives the mind and body the opportunity to recharge.

For me, relaxation takes on several meanings; warm bubble baths, lying under blankets reading, or basking in the sun on a sandy beach. I also find peace and tranquility from a brisk nature walk, spinning, and yoga. 

 
A few weekends ago, my boyfriend and I took a drive out to Letchworth State Park to soak in some fall foliage, local history and most importantly, to clear our minds.

Letchworth, known as the “Grand Canyon of the East,” spans over a whopping 13,350 acres with over 60 miles of hiking trails and breathtaking views. The Genesee River flows north to Lake Ontario, weaving through the bedrock-lined gorge and over three falls.

Our day trip to Letchworth gave us the opportunity to unplug and be mindful in the moment. While we were hiking, the beautiful scenery, sounds of nature, and lack of “everyday” distractions enabled us to relax. All in all, I'd say it was a fall day well spent!

How do you relax? What do you do to clear your mind during times of stress?

When I was in my dietetic internship I had a bit of a routine every night before bed to make sure the next morning was smooooth sailing. I usually set up the coffee maker, packed a lunch, and picked out my outfit for the next day, all of which were huge time savers come the AM (ladies, you know).

Now that I’m actively searching for a registered dietitian position in my new city of Rochester, NY, my evenings are a bit less structured but I'm still open to any morning time savers just to have in my back pocket. A few days ago, I decided to do a test run on some overnight oats, which are oats soaked with milk in the fridge overnight so that they soften and are easier to blend. Sure enough, come the morning they were good to go for a hearty breakfast smoothie.

I must say I was inspired to do this by Serena Ball, RD of Teaspoon of Spice - her Blueberry Muffin Smoothie had me drooling on my keyboard. Since I've always had oats in pretty much two forms, as cooked oatmeal or in cookies, I was intrigued by the idea of using oats for something a little less traditional. Thus, I bought a large container of quick oats at my local Wegman’s and made sure there were no added ingredients, just good old fashioned oats! 

Some nutrition tidbits about this tropical smoothie: Oats are a good source of fiber, with 4 grams in 1/2 cup. The fiber in oats can help you to feel fuller for longer (so none of those mid morning hunger pangs) and supports normal digestive function. You may know avocados for their heart-healthy monounsaturated fats but did you know that avocados also contain several vitamins and minerals? Those creamy green centers have vitamin K, vitamin E, folate and potassium, to name a few. The Greek yogurt used in this recipe has no fat but is chock full of protein. The greek yogurt in combination with the milk alone gives you about half the daily recommended intake of calcium - how's that for a kickstart to your day?

Avocado Banana Coconut and Oat Smoothie
Makes: approximately 2, 1 cup servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain quick oats
• 1 cup skim milk
• ½ medium avocado
• 1 frozen banana
• ½ cup non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp dried, unsweetened coconut

• Mint (optional garnish)
  
  

Directions

1. The night before, combine oats and milk and place in refrigerator overnight. 
2. When you are ready to make your smoothie, add overnight oats, avocado, banana, yogurt, and coconut to blender and blend until smooth. For a sweeter smoothie, add 1 tbsp honey.
   
3. Top with an extra sprinkle of dried coconut and mint if desired.

Sip with a straw or eat with a spoon, it's your call. Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy oats?

I wanted to call this post 30 Minutes or Less Rule but the word “rule” is so rigid and completely negates everything I’m about to share with you in this post. 

Take a minute and think about this: What are some obstacles that keep you from cooking? Or conversely, what is it that inspires/motivates you to cook?

A few weeks ago, I went to my good family friends’ home and enjoyed a fabulous summer evening. Ed Markus of Event Navigators is a dear family friend and my very own culinary mentor (I self-proclaimed him that just now). All of us talked many things over red wine, a delicious dinner, and the Schuylkill river (did I just make that rhyme??).

Through all the eating, talking, laughing, and relaxing, some valid insights about food and cooking came up that I wanted to share.

And here they are... 

• Aim for 30 minutes or less. When meal prep takes much longer than this, it becomes a chore. Instead of it being something you dread, enjoy a glass of wine or listen to calming music. My favorite is being with others and chatting away – the time flies! (I also find chopping veggies quite therapeutic but hey, that might just be me).
  
  
• Use whole ingredients (if you can). I know this isn’t always possible but more simply put, use ingredients that leave room for adding your own creative spice and flavor. 
  
  
• Experiment and don’t be afraid of failure. I know this is tough one – it was especially for me. But I found out that most of the time, food tastes better when I make it myself and add my own twist. Usually when I cook at home, I don't necessarily follow an exact recipe but rather put together something I think will taste good (or is inspired by a recipe) and tweak it from there.
  
  
• Think outside the box to prevent foods from going to waste. Freeze, pickle, or add it to something you’ve never tried before – you might be surprised.
  
  
• Really remember why you are preparing a meal. It’s to nourish your loved ones while sharing delicious food, conversation, and company.
  
  
• My personal favorite: encourage others to help! I know when you are hosting, it’s non-traditional to ask for help but even if it’s just for company in the kitchen, ask. (Plus – clean up is breeze with a few extra helping hands!)
  

(Eddie's famous [vodka soaked] pineapples - everything in moderation right?!)

And there you have it folks!

What are some of the things you enjoy about cooking or sharing meals with loved ones?

Growing up, the Fourth of July was always celebrated with an outdoor family picnic. As kids we would toss water balloons and eat fresh fruit so juicy that it dripped between our fingers. But we didn’t care – we were havin’ a gooood time!

My family would get together to enjoy each other’s company, food, and laughs. Each family would bring a dish to share; my personal favorites were deviled eggs and my Aunt El’s cucumber salad. There was always a nice spread of desserts. Lots of desserts. Trifles, fruit salads, cakes, cookies - you name it.

Since berries are abundant in summer, I was inspired by my one of my favorite family holiday traditions to make these red, white, and berry-filled patriotic parfait pies!

No Bake Patriotic Parfait Pies

Makes approximately 4 servings.

Ingredients

• ½ cup quick oats
  
• 1/8 cup chopped almonds
  
• 1 tbsp honey 
  
• 1 tbsp softened butter
  
• ½ tsp vanilla
  
• ½ tsp cinnamon
  
• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  
• ½ cup fresh whipped cream 
  
• 1 cup blueberries
  
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
  
• Fresh mint (garnish)
  

Directions

1. To make no-bake crumble: combine oats, almonds, honey, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until ingredients are coarsely combined but moist. 
   
2. In a separate bowl, add yogurt and fold freshly whipped cream into yogurt until blended.
   
3. To assemble tarts, layer crumble on the bottom of a glass dish. Add a layer of cream mixture and top with strawberries and blueberries as desired. Garnish with fresh mint.
   

Enjoy these no bake pies as a Fourth of July treat that's sure to please! You could even enjoy them as a quick snack or dessert on non-holidays. Happy Fourth everyone!

A special thank you to those who serve and have served our country! God bless.

What are some of your favorite Fourth of July traditions?

Hi friends! Yesterday marked my last day as an intern with Teaspoon of Spice. Although I’m sad it’s over, I have learned so much from Deanna in the past 4 weeks (where has the time gone, seriously??). Next stop: dietetic internship graduation!

For my last hurrah, Deanna and Serena gave me the opportunity to write a guest post for Teaspoon of Spice – how lucky am I?! And what makes it even better is that it’s for The Recipe ReDux.

For those of you who don’t know, The Recipe ReDux is a monthly recipe challenge founded by Registered Dietitians – Deanna Segrave-Daly and Serena Ball of Teaspoon Communications and Regan Jones of ReganMillerJones, Inc. The guiding principal of this recipe challenge is that healthy eating can and should taste delicious! Each month, ReDux members post colorfully creative dishes that will have you drooling on your keyboard. If you're a healthy food blogger, check out the ReDux site to join in on the fun.

Inspired by this month’s Recipe ReDux theme, I got my creative juices flowing to create a Sparkling Orchid Cucumber Limeade. Virgin for the kiddos but pairs well with rum or tequila for the adults. This deliciously light and refreshing beverage will keep you cool as a cucumber in the hot summer months!

Check out my guest post for the Sparkling Orchid Cucumber Limeade recipe!

Growing up, I was that kid who dreaded math. In grade school, my dad would wake me up early to practice those triangle multiplication flash cards and after school I received one-on-one math tutoring. Ugh. The memories. But English class, that was a breeze. I loved everything about reading and writing. In the second grade, my best friend and I spent a lot of our free time hand writing and illustrating short stories (Mom, we gotta find those in the attic soon!). As I got older, my freelance writing phased out and the school assignments poured in. For a while, although I enjoyed writing, most of the writing I did wasn’t really for me.

I started this blog as a culmination of ideas, mainly to archive recipes as well as share my experiences in nutrition. But without even realizing it, I am able to write again with a purpose that is my uniquely my own but can be shared with others. I stumbled upon this epiphany at Eat Write Retreat this past weekend during the Story and Recipe: Serving Two Masters workshop. I had the privilege of hearing Linda Eckhardt and Joy Manning speak about the art of food writing.

“Writing about food is one of the greatest things you can do.” Well said, Linda!

Now I’m no food writing expert myself but for my fellow readers and/or aspiring food bloggers, here are some valuable tips I learned from Linda and Joy in this informational and inspiring workshop:

• Aim to situate a recipe within a story. This helps readers to connect with you, the recipe, and experience of cooking.
  
• Ask family/friends/significant other for input on stories.
  
• Find the food angle and do not be discouraged if it isn’t staring you square in the face right away. Every story has a food angle.
  
• If you are having trouble finding the food angle, try writing down “30 bad ideas” of possible food angles. Revisit the list later and you may find that a good one snuck in there!
  
• Develop a lede to ‘capture’ the reader. Try to limit to 30 words or less.
  
• Length of story varies but a general rule of thumb is for 500 words or less.
  
• Ask yourself: Is your writing cohesive? Does it flow? Is it conversational? Am I ranting?
  
• White space is your friend – use it.
  
• Edit, edit, and edit some more!
  

That is all friends, now give it a go! 

Eat Write Retreat (EWR) is weekend-long conference designed to build and enhance connections within the food community through shared experiences and workshops focused on cooking, photography, and writing… a.k.a. the most fun weekend ever!!! A big thank you to Casey and Robyn for letting me tag along with Deanna as part of my internship with Teaspoon Communications. Here’s a little peek into what my Saturday at EWR looked like…

6 am - Wake up, coffee, off to the train!

7:30 am - The morning of course started with a #selfie for the “say cheese and eggs” challenge as I enjoyed my favorite breakfast food of all time: eggs benedict courtesy of Safest Choice Eggs and Jarlsberg Cheese.

8:30 am - The Story and Recipe: Serving Two Masters workshop lead by Linda Eckhardt and Joy Manning inspired food bloggers to share food and cooking through storytelling. (More on this to follow in another post.)

10 am - The quick fire recipe challenge sponsored by California Avocados got everyone’s creative juices flowing with a little friendly competition. A colorful spread of ingredients were laid out to 'create your own' avocado toast in only 7 minutes. Each table nominated a unique avocado toast creation (we nominated Deanna’s) and Chef Mitch Prensky of Supper Restaurant stopped by to judge the nominees! 

11 am - Deanna and Carol Harrison of Citrus presented an insightful, educational, and interactive presentation debunking myths and highlighting trends in nutrition. These research-savvy RDs discussed topics such as oil pulling, saturated fat, coconut water, superfoods, and more. (I must note, this ironically is the time where my phone stopped working and I could not take any more pictures. Why phone? Why?!!?)

1 pm - My day wrapped up at the Reading Terminal Market demo kitchen for the Great Mushroom Swap and Lunch hosted by the Iovine Brothers Urban Produce Market and the Mushroom Council. I gladly sampled savory mushroom-filled recipes including lamb corn dogs, mushroom and beet tacos, and mini turkey burgers - all of which were delicious, kudos to Chef Bobby from Molly Malloy's! 

Photo credit: Noelle of Opera Singer in the Kitchen blog @singerinthekitchen 

This concludes my truncated version of EWR ’14 but stay tuned for more takeaways to come!

This past weekend my mom and I went to Gentile’s Market and filled our cart with fresh fruits, veggies, milk, and a big ol’ block of tofu. To be 100% honest with you I’ve never cooked with tofu. I’ve always been a little intimidated by the idea but it was time to face the music. Dun dun dun….

Fortunately I was able to turn to a recent Healthy Aperture 12 Ways to Eat Tofu post and was particularly inspired by the Mexican Tofu Scramble – shout out to The Flexitarian! I already had many of the ingredients, so I decided to whip up a burrito bowl with a few minor tweeks.

When it all was said and done, my mom and I assembled our burrito bowls and dove in, forks first. I kid you not when I say it was as good as a Chipotle burrito bowl – maybe even better! My mom certainly agreed and we even had leftovers to enjoy for a few days after.

A few findings/tips from my tofu-y escapade in the kitchen:

• Tofu is extremely versatile – Tofu is naturally neutral in taste so it has the ability to take on any flavor. It can also be prepared in a multitude of ways such as crumbles, cubes, or even pureed in soups or dishes.
  
• Tofu should be pressed/dried – This reduces water content and moisture. Think of tofu as a sponge full of water, once you lightly 'squeeze' out excess water, it can then soak in all the spicy, herby goodness.
  
• Do not marinade tofu with oil – Oil creates a slick coating and essentially inhibits spices and flavor from entering the ‘tofu sponge.’

What are some of your tips for cooking with tofu?

Today is the birthday of my blog and I'm so happy you stopped by to celebrate! I'm new to this sooo... bear with me while I dip my toes into the world that is blogging. I'm writing as an almost-graduated dietetic intern who is doing a 4-week enrichment rotation with Teaspoon Communications! I am ecstatic that Deanna has taken me under her wing and we're jumping right into social media and cooking - what better?!

Today we set aside our laptops and took to the kitchen for a bit to test some different veggie and fruit popsicle recipes. Ahhh how refreshing (we'll just ignore the fact that it's been pouring cats and dogs all day). I must say I'm having a blast and am quite enjoying the business casual minus the business that I am now privileged to wear on a daily basis. Can't wait to see what the next couple of weeks brings!