We're Back!!

     A few months ago, Deirdre and I were feeling a little overwhelmed with the combination of the holidays and keeping up with posts on two (or three in Deirdre's case, see here) blogs. We loved all the blogs but felt it was a good time to cut back for awhile. Thus we took a break from our yumm-eriffic foodie blog Aliment and put our energy full force into our baby, Ladies Holiday.

     With the end of the year holiday season and the new year bustle behind us, we feel ready to share some more delicious goodness with you here. We may not be back to our thrice a week schedule for awhile, but we hope to share with you weekly nonetheless. Today we start off simple with a foodie post that is also being shared on Ladies Holiday.

Enjoy!

Tamar & Deirdre

Every once in awhile, we ladies find it fun to participate in 

What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW.) 

This nifty blog hop is hosted by the lovely Jenn over at Peas and Crayons.

As some of you may remember, I started the new year off with the gentle, yet oh-so-effective

Adventure Cleanse, as found in the pages of Wellness Warrior

Kris Carr's sparkle-tastic health-eriffic book Crazy Sexy Diet.

Since participating in the 21-day cleanse I have been able to maintain this 

cleaner lifestyle in regard to what I put in my belly on a daily basis and 

I have found that I feel 

lighter, more energetic, more focused, and generally 

happier 

than I have in a long, long time. 

Now that is really something to rave about! 

Here I share a glimpse into what my dishes are filled with 

on a regular ol' day, but you'll see that it is not in the least boring.

Ladies Holiday, copyright 2013

Brekkie: I usually start my morning with green juice followed by a protein and produce packed smoothie, this sticks with me until lunch. Picture here, a blend of freshly juiced carrots and oranges, half an avocado, almond milk, and my favorite protein powder mix.

Lunch: I combined leftover quinoa from last night's dinner with sautéed kale and tofu. I topped it off with some delicious vegan cheddar, and sliced up the other half of my avocado on the side with a bit of lime juice and s&p on top.

Dinner: Oooh my mouth is watering at the memory. Vegan enchiladas: white basmati rice (although I usually use brown) mixed with lime juice and cilantro. Vegetarian refried beans. Vegan Daiya brand Monteray Jack cheese. Fresh tomatoes. All wrapped up in Trader Joe's brand habenjaro lime tortilla and smothered in enchilad sauce. Yum yum yum!!!

What foods make you feel sparkly and truly alive?

Bon Appetit!

Tamar

WIAW~Tamar Learns Her Lesson

     As we do every Wednesday here on Aliment, today it's my turn to participate in the fun of "What I Ate Wednesday" (WIAW), a nifty blog hop hosted by the yummy-maker, Jenn over at Peas and Crayons. So here goes...

                                                                                            Source: lokalty.com via lokalty on Pinterest

  

     Whoever said, "Life is short, eat dessert first" wasn't very smart...wait, I think that was Mark Twain, he was pretty smart and pretty awesome. Ok, fine, the idea isn't all bad...but I learned that for me, eating dessert first might be a bad idea. Why? Because if I'm hungry for a meal and I eat dessert first, then I'm much more likely to eat a larger portion of the sweet stuff than my belly can handle. If you've been following us for awhile then you'll know that my body doesn't respond well to too many sweets, but the other night I took Twain's advice and learned a lesson in moderation.

Let's start with the night before...

 The culprit: Raspberry Shortcake (it was so stinkin' good.)

Should've stopped there...or not inhaled the whole thing in 90 seconds flat.

This was followed by dinner...which was a turkey burger patty, topped with a slice of meunster cheese and a dollop of dijon mustard. Yummy, but no picture. 

Maybe it was just a bad combo, 

or maybe I should've eaten a real dinner followed 

by a smaller portion of the above shortcake. 

Either way, next morning I awoke with a stomach ache!!

I felt like I had a hangover, nausea, slight headache, and just...blahhhh; 

but no alcohol had been consumed, then I remembered dessert.

I felt like I needed a gentle and clean start to my day, which lead to

this very kind breakfast:

Two tall glasses of water and a juicy nectarine later, 

I was feeling less wobbly and my belly was on the mend. 

I was ready for lunch by 11am:

Mmmm. Sprouted grain bread filled with:

Sliced Fuji apples

One slice of Meunster cheese (one of my faves!)

3 thin slices of Applegate Farms Turkey Bologna

Baby Spinach

Dijon Mustard

My belly said "Thank you, I'm back to normal now!"

Tonight, a healthy dinner first...then maybe just a spoonful of Cookie Butter. :)

What's the tastiest thing you've eaten this week?

Whatever it was or will be...

Bon Appetit!

Tamar 

 

WIAW with Deirdre

      Here we Wednesday again and in case you're wondering what this "What I Ate Wednesday" hoolabaloo is all about check out Peas & Crayons.   Happy Autumn. It's official. It's here and there is no denying it. Apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, mums, colorful leaves and crisp air.   But there was no way I was going to let that last day of summer slip me by so we went to the beach. It wasn't a sunny day (cloudy when we arrived, sunny when we left) nor was it warm (58 degrees) and by all accounts beach season appeared to be over, but not for us, nope...we savored it until the very last moment.  

  We pulled on our wetsuits, paddled out and rode those waves until our toes were numb and hot chocolate was the only remedy...and maybe some pumpkin bread.   Then we got back in the wild water and rode wave after wave and sat out there watching the water and chatted about everything and nothing. It was beautiful, perfect and warmed me from within.   When the sun started to dip low and we positively couldn't take the air temperature and wind any longer we peeled off our wetties, turned up the heat in the sandy car and went and got some warm butternut squash and cranberry soup in bread bowls...and for dessert, ICE CREAM! It was after all the last day of summer. Why not? And why not fall into the habit of doing what you love despite the odds, ride those waves, whether they be water or painting or writing or dog walking or whatever...do what you love and love what you do.  

  Unfortunately the camera was forgotten as I enjoyed most of this day, food included...so here are a few other items from my week, yes I take photos of what I eat...and no they're not high quality, but it's all part of savoring the flavor...  

Cheers! A week's worth of Sambucol for a cold...Boo Hoo.

Tomato Soup and Gold Fish are good for the aformentioned cold...

I'm a pretty big deal...

Apple Dumpling pre-baked....

Baked with homemade whipped cream...

 

Chard & Ricotta No-Noodle Lasagna with Parm.

Homemade peanut butter - peanut butter cookies...
No, that's not a typo, I made the peanut butter.

    Bon Appetit, Deirdre    
 

WIAW - An Apple a Day

  My family and I went to an apple farm this past weekend...it was a beautiful blue sky day, we visited cute little rabbits in a rocky grotto, watched helplessly as a donkey tried very loudly to tell us something and saw two roly-poly little sheep wearing blue bandannas, we tried apple cider doughnuts, my husband checked out some fine tractors and we busily picked from trees dripping with galas, greenings, McIntosh and more. It was perfect, but as far as I am concerned it is still summer. I'm not giving up. Not yet.  

Copyright 2012 Deirdre/Aliment

  In the meantime for this WIAW (details about this fun, healthy and helpful weekly event courtesy of Jenn from Peas & Crayons click here.)   This is what I ate Wednesday:  

Clockwise from largest -- Dinner: three homemade grilled pizzas:  #1 with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and roasted tomatoes from my garden,  Lunch: left over panzanella salad: loads of veggies, tofu, Parmesan cheese and croutons, pizza #2: homemade pesto with fresh mozz, pizza #3: opposite of the first Breakfast: Ezekiel cereal, blueberries, bananas and almond coconut milk- I love, I love it, I love it!  

Copyright 2012 Deirdre/Aliment

  And my falling into good habits tips: An Apple a Day!

Copyright 2012 Deirdre/Aliment

 

Copyright 2012 Deirdre/Aliment
Yes, that is an apple cozy.

1. They are great on their own, but also will do the body good in:

  2. Muffins  

3. In whole grain pancakes, yeah, don't mind that crazy nob of butter on top.  

  4. Sliced and spread with peanut butter, Cookie Butter or Nutella.  

5. Sliced thin and placed in a grilled or toasted cheese.     6. Atop a salad with walnuts, cranberries, balsamic and...whatever you think mixes well. Photo where'd you go? Lost! Dag-nab-it along with that apple pie smoothie that I swear was real, it was just gone so fast...but if you're wondering what that might have been like click here (which technically makes the total eight.)    

  7. Crisped!   What are your favorite ways to eat apples? Please share below!   Bon Appetit, Deirdre    





 

WIAW--Fall into Good Habits

    
     While I'm not super excited to see summer dwindling away, I am excited for the return to school and routine. Yup, you read that right. Routine. I thrive on it. I do have a rebellious laid back side to me that relishes the freedom of summer, time to relax, create, take on household projects, read for hours...you get it. BUT, truth be told, to be a healthy, functioning, really happy person...I need routine, it's good for me...ultimately (grumble grumble.)

Good Habit #1

Eat Breakfast...in a reasonable amount of time after waking

    
     Tomorrow is the first day of school for my kids, and for me too (I'm going back to college...again!) and so the routine begins--you know what one of the best things about that is? I will eat breakfast first thing in the morning, instead of getting side-tracked by emails, blog reading, or trips to the playground...and this is what my body truly likes, eating first thing in the morning tells my body that I care enough to send the very best (which usually means a green veggie filled smoothie!)

Good Habit #2

Snack Right and Often

These were all in my purse...hmmm, which should I choose? I ove having options!

This one was new to me, Luna Bar Vanilla Almond flavor, tasty!

On another day I had this one.

Mmmmm...like PB Fudge, but better for you!

     I will also be packing a lot more healthy to-go type snacks...my body likes this because it keeps my blood sugar from getting too low when I am in between classes, or errands, or blog writing, or sporting events for the kids. My daughter started cheer practice four nights out of the week in August, this meant lots of on-the-go snacking to hold me off until dinner. I've taken to trying new varieties of protein or other whole foods "snack" bars as I refer to them.

Good Habit #3

Take the Time

(to sit down and eat your lunch, 

instead of standing in my kitchen and rushing through each bite.)

I love me a tomato sandwich! Italian dressing, s&p, thinly sliced garden tomatoes, on whole grain bread (I often like it toasted!)

      Last year I formed this good habit, I learned to take advantage of the fact that my kids were at school and the house was pretty quiet...okay, really quiet. I learned to take the time to prepare myself something healthy and enjoyable. I learned to take the time to sit down with my food, in my quiet house, with the TV off, with my phone off the table (it's usually with me constantly and I am at it's beck and call...my phone and I are sort of having a love affair. Darn you technology! You've got me in your clutches!!) I learned to chew more slowly, taste more fully, and feel happy that I was enjoying such a wonderful uninterrupted meal. I look forward to getting back on track with this habit.

Good Habit #4

Make Dinner Ahead of Time

So I don't have to rush...or make something crummy because there's not time, or the kids need me, or I'm just too darned tired by that time of day!

Olive oil, thinly sliced turnips, and balsamic vinegar

Topped with a couple of Turkey thighs

And some yellow squash and onions

Some tomatoes, a little water, a smidge of brown sugar, and crushed red pepper

Set it for 8 hours and waltz away to enjoy your day!

Um...YUM!

      This will be a new habit. I actually started it in August when the evening cheer practices started which required us to be at the field from 5:30-7:30 nearly every night. I began to make good use of my crock pot, that way I'd have dinner ready to eat either before (at 4:30) or after (with a snack to hold us over before hand.) It's been grrrreat! On days when I'm not using the slow cooker, I often put some rice in the rice cooker after I make my lunch (it sets to warm after it cooks and can stay like that for days) set out a can of organic black beans for use that night and chop veggies ahead of time to either eat fresh alongside beans and rice or quickly saute up to mix in. This means that most if not all of my dinner prep is done before 4pm. During the school year this will mean that I have one less thing to worry about during those "witching hours" between 3:30pm and the kid's bedtime, which means (I hope) I'll be more patient and able to devote more attention to homework help and "heart help" with my kids. By Heart Help, I mean soothing broken hearts and wounded feelings from any number of minor to major (from a child's perspective) woes of the day. This will be a very good thing for all.

Good Habit #5

Have a "Treat" by the End of Each Day

(especially if it was a tough one!)

Oooh! I've been seeing those commercials, I've wanted to try this!

Blueberry goodness...

Alright, dude, admittedly: delicious! And yeah, this is yogurt. BUT when my yogurt has 20 something grams of sugar in one tiny serving? I'm sorry, that's gonna have to count as a treat for me.

      Without any judgement (just love!) for myself or anyone else's choices, which may be very different from my own, I remind you that I have been on a Clean Eating Adventure in an effort to break habits that were harming my body and making me feel unwell...basically, my addiction to salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats was keeping me from truly thriving in my life and doing all that wonderful things that I am meant to do! So when I say I'll "treat" myself, I use quotes to remind me that I need to be sensible and not overdo it...but that I can find lots of good treats that won't make me crash, or make my body hurt. Treats are good. Enjoying what you eat is GREAT...and IMPORTANT to a happy, healthy life (that's what I think anyway!) :)

And that's all she wrote!

What healthy habits are you falling into?

Happy hopping and...

Bon Appetit!

Tamar 

 

WIAW - Summer Staples

 

From Peas & Crayons...

----What WIAW isn't about----

Comparison - Judgement - Restriction - Guilt

----What WIAW is about----

Celebrating one of the glorious things we all have in common: We all eat!

This month's theme is Summer Staples and as I weep and sob that (for those of us with school age children) summer is seeming to come to an end...as school begins, the truth is we have another month and gosh darn it I am going to get the most out of these days, because I love summer.

Source: herblog.com via Eugenie on Pinterest

Summer staples for me include lazy mornings, lots of frosty food, days at the beach, fun with my kids with out the restriction of, "tomorrow is a school day" or "but you have to do your homework" or the taxi driver I become shepherding them here and there.

Recipe Here

Summer staples include afternoons in the hammock, hiking, talking about not much of anything, but a whole lot of everything and lots of produce from our garden.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Miss on Pinterest

Summer staples are dinners on the deck, fireflies and sunsets over the ocean that melt my heart and remind me I am just where I am supposed to be.

Deirdre/Aliment

But you came here for What I Ate...not me waxing poetic about summer or maybe you did. But I'll get to the point with, no not a poem, but a photo collage, artistic, ya?

Directly above: My usual breakfast of Ezekiel Cereal, bananas, blueberries, almond milk and omegas from flax...sometimes I just add flax directly or get Ezekiel with flax. I kinda, sorta, mix it up, sometimes.

As for the rest: lunch leftover Mexican Lasagna recipe from...you guessed it Peas and Crayons, which you can find here. It was fabulous especially with that big spoonful of guacamole on top. Ole!

For a snack I shared a Liz Lovely PB cookie with my girls. They ate the chocolate, I at the peanut butter.

As for dinner, it was phenomenal! We had Pho (pronounced Fuh) a Vietnamese Soup that was phenomenol. Did I say that already, yes, well now you know. I started with Pacific Food Soups Pho Starter...the broth...then we did a make your own station with tofu, sprouts, cilantro, scallions, lime and basil. And some sauce...I have no idea what it is has some Bragg's and cashews. That's all I am sure of. My husband made it and it was so tasty!

So there you have it, my summer staples, a day in the life of my phood and with that I'd like to add, what are your summer staples? Are you lamenting the loss of summer? Welcoming fall? Please share below!

Bon Appetit!

Deirdre