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the barking crab

Posted on May 31, 2010 by Jen

I opted out of a workout this morning since my legs are really feeling like they need a break from running after all of our walking around this weekend!

All I could think about was oatmeal. It has been a few weeks since my last real bowl and I woke up with a hungry tummy!

I took the time to make a batch of Steel Cut Oats and boy was it worth it.  Once the oats had about 5 minutes left to cook, I stirred in 1/2 of a mashed banana and a dash of almond milk for creaminess.  I topped my oatmeal with the other 1/2 of the banana, 1 tbsp of chocolate peanut butter and some homemade chocolate banana granola.  Yummy.

Served with a few pieces of juicy watermelon.  Nothing says summer more than watermelon!

Once our guests were ready to go, we headed downtown to walk around.  Around noon I split a Prana Bar with Brant and munched on an apple.

I received some samples of Prana Bars a few weeks ago and am just getting around to trying them.  I will write a complete review once I try all of the flavors, so stay tuned.  I will say, though, that I really enjoyed this Supercharger Blueberry Coconut Prana Bar!  It was the consistency of a Larabar, with the base being dates, but had a bit of crunch due to the puffed amaranth that I loved.  The coconut flavor really stood out and a hint of blueberry came through as well.  The bars contain all natural ingredients and are mostly raw.  Prana has three varieties of bars – PranaBar, Supercharger and Boomi Bar.  The flavors sound delicous, I can’t wait to try them all!

After walking along the harbor for awhile and taking in the sites, we made our way to The Barking Crab for a late lunch.

I’ve never seen the footbridge open before!

The Barking Crab is a Southie landmark that sits right on the water.

We had a bit of a wait with our lobster buzzer, so we enjoyed a beer.

They serve mostly fried seafood, but had a few other options as well.

Brant and our guests enjoyed the fried seafood while I opted for a mixed greens salad with grilled shrimp.

Fried food always sounds great, but I hate how I feel afterwards.  If I ever feel myself ready to order a fried dish, I just remind myself how I always hate myself after I eat it and 99.9% of the time it makes up my mind.  It never tastes as good as it looks anyways.  And, once I am filled up on my healthier dish, I am satisfied with my decision!

The shrimp on my salad was great!  It was seasoned very well.

After lunch, I snacked on some dark chocolate and dried strawberries while I continued to enjoy the weather!

Once dinnertime rolled around, we wanted to keep it really simple.  We have had 4 days of constantly being on the go and eating out, so the last thing we wanted to do was cook!  I took 5 minutes and heated up some Bean Chili which hit the spot.

Served with some Dr. Kracker’s seeded flatbread as croutons in my new Ramen Noodle bowl!

This bowl is perfect for comfort foods because it fits perfectly in your hand.

Those slots in the bowl hold a set of chopsticks.

Of course, I was craving something sweet after dinner, so I decided to whip up some banana softserve!  I made about 1.5 frozen bananas topped with a mixture of melted dark chocolate and peanut butter (probably 1/8 of a chocolate bar and 1/2 tbsp of PB!) and sprinkled with a few cacao nibs.

(and my camera ate the photo!)

A yummy dessert was a perfect end to our Memorial Day!

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Filed under: Eating Laps, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

downtown

Posted on May 31, 2010 by Jen

Happy Memorial Day!

I woke up feeling super groggy and with a pounding headache yesterday.  UGH!  I think it was going to bed so much later than normal…and eating dinner so much later.  Nothing a little juice can’t fix!

I swear – fresh squeezed juice helps every time.  It is loaded with antioxidants and helps to give you that boost that you sometimes need in the morning (without drinking coffee!).

In my juice:

  • 2 huge carrots
  • 3 celery stalks
  • 1 apple
  • 1-inch piece of ginger
  • 1 tsp spirulina stirred in at the end

I chugged my juice and it helped so much.  I felt alive after drinking it!

What is spirulina?

Spirulina is a blue-green algae.  It is 70% complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids that our bodies need in a perfect balance.  It also contains a high concentration of nutrients and is easily absorbed into the bloodstream, which makes it a great mix-in for smoothies or juices!

After my juice, we sat down to breakfast on the porch!  That is one of my favorite things about spring and summer.  I love eating on the porch!  While everyone else munched on pancakes and bacon that Brant whipped up, I made up a big bowl of Greek yogurt, chia seeds, museli, banana, granola, cacao nibs and a drizzle of honey.

On the side, I had some juicy watermelon.

The perfect summer day breakfast if you ask me (tied with a smoothie, of course!). 🙂

We spent the day walking around downtown and stopped for lunch at B. Good where I got a big Hatchback salad with spinach, arugula, almonds, dried apples, dried cherries and balsamic vinaigrette on the side.  I snagged a few of Brant’s ‘baked’ fries as well.

Then, hit up Emack & Bolio’s for some black raspberry ice cream.

Nothing is better than walking around the city on a warm day with ice cream!

Once home, I headed out for a quick run before dinner.  I needed a pick me up since I was feeling super tired.  I ran for 30 minutes…it just felt great to get out there, even though Castle Island was packed with people.

Post-run snack:

Coconut water and a slice of multigrain with almond butter and apples to hold me over until another late dinner of Mexican!!

We hit up Border Cafe in Harvard Square to show our guests the area.  The place was packed!  I ordered a Sangria which I sipped throughout the meal.

For dinner, I chose the Vegetarian Fajitas with no rice and extra black beans.  Check out my spread!

I made up a plate with one cup of the black beans, all of the veggies and the salsa and guacamole.  I skipped the cheese and white tortillas.  I always forget how much I love mexican until I have it again!

After dinner, we hit up an outdoor bar in Harvard Square – Tory Row.

It was a cute place with the doors and windows opening to a patio.  Lots of hightop tables and very minimal decorations.

I ordered the Lillet Spritzer which was a white dessert wine with seltzer water and a squeeze of lemon.  It was very refreshing on a warm night!

Another long day!  Good thing it’s a Monday holiday today.

Filed under: Eating Laps, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

freedom trail

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Jen

**warning!  this post is a long one! 🙂

We had a fun day being tourists and exploring Boston yesterday!  Even though we live here, we take for granted how historical our city is.  Luckily, Brant’s cousins are in town for the weekend which is making us play tourist and I love it.

After breakfast, we headed downtown to walk the Freedom Trail.

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites, every one an authentic American treasure.  Preserved and dedicated by the citizens of Boston in 1958, when the wrecking ball threatened, the Freedom Trail today is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond. (Source)

We made all of the stops immediately downtown:

1. Boston Common where there are hundreds of flags set up to honor Memorial Day and the fallen troops.

2. The State House

3. Park Street Church which is known for supporting Abolitionist causes and hosting anti-slavery lectures in the early 1800’s.

4. Granary Burial Ground – the resting place of many of Boston’s famous sons – Paul Revere, John Hancock, Sam Adams and James Otis.

5. King’s Chapel – a non-Puritan church used by the King’s men who occupied Boston to enforce British law.

6. A stop at Old City Hall to ride the Donkey and smell the flowers. 🙂

Then, we continued on.

7. Old South Meeting House – which was made famous by the Boston Tea Party!

8. The Old State House which was used before the Revolution, and after was the first capital building in MA.

A mini replica to see the whole thing…

While walking around, I snacked on a Coconut water (Zico’s Lime) and an apple to tide me over.

Then, we got hungry!  Our plan was to eat in the North End once we got there, but after the Old State House we be-lined it through Fanueil Hall to Pizzeria Regina!

As usual, there was a bit of a wait, but it’s worth it – trust me.  Luckily, it was a nice day out so we could enjoy the weather while waiting.  Once inside, we ordered some grub.  The six of us ordered 2 large and 1 small pizzas…and we finished all but 3 slices.  I guess we were hungry!

I enjoyed a few Broccoli and Cherry Tomato slices (which were small because they were from the small pizza) and a refreshing beer!  Plus, another slice of the eggplant, which I didn’t love.

This was the lunch we all wanted after a long morning of walking around and learning Boston history.  We were all very happy campers.

We ended up skipping the rest of the trail…but, we’ll be back to finish it in the near future. 🙂

After some relaxing with cocktails and a snack of banana and peanut butter for me, we headed out for a late Sushi dinner at Douzo.  I started with 2 tempura sweet potatoes.

And, ordered the Seaweed Salad and Garden Roll with brown rice and filled with lettuce, asparagus, cucumber and carrot (hold the mayo!) for my meal.

What a great jam-packed day!

Filed under: Eating Laps | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

how to cook your own black beans

Posted on May 29, 2010 by Jen

We have a busy day planned today!  It involves the Freedom Trail which I haven’t officially done since field trips in grade school…I’m excited!

I headed out for a run this morning in the gorgeous weather.  I did some loops around Castle Island to stay close to home and covered 5.6 miles in 49 minutes – yahoo!  It feels good to be running consistently again (or at least for the past 4 days, but I plan to keep it up).

Before my run, I fueled up with 2 small slices of Fruit & Nut Manna Bread spread with my homemade Crazy Nut Butter.  And, some black/green tea straight from Korea!  (The mug is from Korea, too!)

I got home and Brant was cooking up a storm, so I refueled with a small green monster (1 banana, 1.5 cup spinach, scant 1 scoop chocolate Vega Health Optimizer and 3/4 cup almond milk) and 2 scrambled eggs with cheese, salsa and a slice of toast.

We are headed out the door for our day of fun, so I thought I would leave you with some cooking lessons. 🙂  I hope you enjoy!

I have discovered that cooking your own beans is definitely the way to go!  I cooked a huge batch of chickpeas over a month ago, and I am still enjoying them.

The steps for cooking all types beans are pretty much the same.  Cooking time will vary, but other than that it is pretty simple.  Even though I posted about chickpeas awhile ago, I have received quite a few comments and emails about how to cook your own beans, so I figured I would post about black beans!

I highly recommend  making a big batch of beans at once, instead of making multiple small batches.  This way it will be convenient for you.  I think that one of the biggest reasons why people love canned beans is their convenience.  Well, how easy is it to take a container of home-cooked beans out of the freezer?!  Easier than taking a can out of the pantry, a can opener out of your drawer and opening the beans, if you ask me. 🙂  Plus, they taste SO much better!

I picked up 2 pounds of organic black beans the last time I was at Whole Foods.  You could get them in the bulk bin section too, but they didn’t have them when I was there.

Each bag is 1 pound and was only $1.99!!!

How to Cook Black Beans

1.  Lay your beans out on a cookie sheet (or counter) and quickly look through them to make sure there are no stones, bad beans, etc.

2.  Then, put your beans into a large covered container filled with water.  The beans will expand a lot, so make sure that you leave ample room.  I put 1 pound in each container.

They had expanded a little bit even after an hour!

3.  Leave your beans to soak overnight (or at least 8 hours).  Soaking your beans will make them cook faster and will allow your body to digest them better.

4.  When you come back 8 hours later, your water will be black!  And, when you open them, you will see how much your beans expanded.  They were almost up to the top of the jars here.

5.  Rinse the beans a few times until the water is clearer.  I placed a small handheld strainer over the top and drained while keeping the beans in the jars.  Then, I added more water and rinsed a few times.

6.  Dump your beans into your slow-cooker.  You can cook your beans in a pot on the stove as well, however, I prefer the crockpot!  You can leave the beans in there and not worry about leaving the house or sleeping with them cooking.

7.  Fill the crockpot up with water until the beans are completely covered by about 1 inch of water.

8.  Place the lid on and set your timer to LOW for 8 hours.

9.  I went to sleep and never checked the beans again until the morning.  I woke up to this…

10.  Test the beans to make sure they are cooked and then dump them into a big strainer and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking.

11.  Place the beans onto a cookie sheet to dry and cool.  I placed one of my cookie sheets in the freezer after they cooled.  I find that it is better to freeze the beans on a cookie sheet and then place them into a container with them frozen.  This prevents the beans from all clumping together!

12.  After your beans are frozen or dry, store them in containers or bags in your refrigerator or freezer!

I placed 3 containers in the freezer and one in the fridge so that I can use them this weekend.

I tend to cook all of my beans plain and then season them when I am using them.  This way, I can enjoy them in different ways.  You could add some seasonings to the water in your crockpot while simmering to add flavor.

See how simple that was?  Yes, there are a lot of steps, but nothing takes to long.  The most you are doing is moving the beans from one place to the next.  This will save you loads of money and you will be surprised at how much better they taste.

2 pouns of beans at $3.98 makes at least 10 cans of beans, which comes out to be less than $0.40 per can!  You can’t beat that. 🙂

Filed under: Eating Laps, Recipes | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

red sox game

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Jen

We headed to the Red Sox game tonight.  It was a gorgeous night in the city, not too hot with a cool breeze, so it was perfect for a game.

We had awesome seats behind home plate.

I love the energy at Fenway Park.  Everyone is always so excited to be there.  But, the game tonight was pretty boring.  Kansas City got 7 runs in the 4th inning which set the tone for the rest of the game.

It sure was fun to be there, though!

Before the game, I obviously ate some dinner.  I got home from work too late too meet Brant and his cousins for dinner, so I grabbed a quick Almond Butter & Jelly Sandwich on whole wheat before heading out.

I had a few minutes to kill once I got over to Fenway and I was still hungry, so I stopped by UFood Grill.

I had never been there before, but the concept is pretty cool.

From the website:

Real food — it’s that simple

The most important thing at UFood Grill is taste, hands down! Our chef has designed a broad menu of better-for-you versions of traditional favorites and innovative original creations. We take a back-to-basics approach to tasty, healthful cooking, where everything we serve is rooted in quality—from choice meats, to natural and organic ingredients, fresh produce, whole grains, and light cheeses and dressings. All of our menu items are baked, grilled or steamed. Nothing is fried—we don’t even have fryers in our restaurants!

They serve all sorts of stuff – wraps, panini’s, burgers, soups, smoothies, frozen yogurt and salads.  I was really excited to try it out, but tonight I was just in the mood for some veggies to pair with my PB&J and I needed something really quick!  Luckily, they have a lot of sides to choose from and they are all $1.99.  I ordered a side of the steamed veggies and vegetarian black beans.

Don’t let the photo fool you, these sides are small!  But, they were so good!  The veggies were steamed just right…not soggy and limp as many steamed veggies are in restaurants.  And, the black beans were so flavorful.  It was a great compliment to my sandwich.  It is great to have an option for healthy foods as ‘fast food’.  These were real veggies and beans.  I would go back there in a second to try something else (or just for the sides again!).  It was good to get some more food before heading into Fenway where the healthy options are quite limited.  Luckily, with a full belly I didn’t crave a big soft pretzel!

After the game the cravings hit and we took our guests to J.P. Lick’s for some ice cream!  I had a small with the Chocolate Fudge sorbet, which was super chocolaty.

Yay for 3 day weekends!

Filed under: Eating Laps, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

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