How soon we forget…

…to make the things we love!

It only took one bite of farro to create a serious love connection. So why have I not made farro since March? GOOD QUESTION! Probably the same reason I hadn’t made pesto until this week…no good reason at all!

I once again made the Greek Farro Salad I love, but instead of purchasing bell peppers, I substituted in a TON of home grown cherry and heirloom tomatoes from my garden…

Greek Farro Salad adapted from The Food Network

1 1/2 cups farro (dry), cooked
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper, large-diced
1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
1/2 pound 6 ounces feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

For the vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup 1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

Place the cooked farro, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature. Serves 12 (3/4 cup per serving)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 243 calories; 15.4 g. fat; 505 mg. sodium; 20.9 g. carbohydrate; 2.4 g. fiber; 6.5 g. protein

Result: Just as amazing as I recall 🙂

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I wanted to give a quick update accountability check on my 101 Days of Summer Challenge with Biz. My goal was to run 70 out of 101 days…at least 1 mile!

30 days in….hmmmm.

I have run 16 out of 30 days which is less than 4x a week. Ooops. I am not going to meet my goal at this rate….gotta step it up! I have, however, run an average mileage of 2.93 per run with only ONE run being 1 mile (+ a hockey game). If you remove the loner 1-miler, my average run is 3.06 miles. I exercised a total of 20 times, however — 15 runs, 1 run + hockey, and 4 days of 1-2 hockey games each. I just can’t seem to push through 2 games of hockey and THEN run. My longest run has been 5 miles this month.

Bring it on, July!

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And do you know what tomorrow is?

The day before my birthday…yes. But, no! …Half-way to New Years! How are YOU doing on your New Years Resolutions for 2010? You didn’t forget about those, did you? 😉 Status update on my progress tomorrow!

Question: What’s your favorite form of exercise at the moment? And your favorite grain?

I leave you with some cuteness:

Well, maybe only a mother finds that cute 😉

Happy Hump Day!

Drool-worthy Pesto

…Lily thought so, too (yes, my dog drools THIS much!)

[Miss Lily has packed on 5 POUNDS since her last check-up 1 ½ weeks ago!!! Oklahoma heat = lazy pup and lazier owners!! I think she needs a dietitian 😉 ]

Anyways, pesto is one of those things I love to order when out. But after seeing classic pesto on Jenna’s blog, I wondered, why not make my own? Sounds simple enough, right? And it is…very simple. And divine!

Classic Pesto adapted from Cooking Light

2 Tbsp coarsely chopped walnuts or pine nuts
2 3+ garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano + shavings for garnish (optional)
1/4 ½ teaspoon salt
14 ounce box whole wheat pasta
12 ounces chicken breast, grilled and chopped
Pine nuts, garnish (optional)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Transfer to a large serving bowl after draining.

Grill chicken breasts until cooked through. Chop into strips and add to pasta.

In a food processor combine pine nuts, garlic, olive-oil, basil, cheese, and salt. Process until smooth.

Top the chicken and pasta with the pesto. Stir until well combined. Garnish with Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano shavings and pine nuts, if desired. Serves 7.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 402 calories; 17 g. fat; 47 mg. cholesterol; 346 mg. sodium; 39.8 g. carbohydrate; 5.1 g. fiber; 25.7 g. protein

Result: This was heavenly!! I only wished Mr. Prevention was there to share it with me. Or my BFF…she’s a pesto lover, too! I will definitely be making more pesto! And with the addition of chicken, it’s a great balance of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy, mono and polyunsaturated fats. I love balance and all-in-one meals!

Life update: We have a house (after approximately 4,345 counter offers over the weekend)! We are scheduled to close July 30^th…and I’m very excited about this house (even though I’ve never seen it in person – HA!). More excited than the first home which BOMBED the home inspections. Like so many of you said…everything has a way of working itself out and everything happens for a reason! ALSO, I have received not only one job offer, but a second job offer! While neither of them is in diabetes specifically, one of them has to do with diabetes, and both are wonderful offers. I’ll go into that more when I actually accept one of them. But for now I feel confident in saying, I have a job and that as much as I love my current job, I am embracing the change into a new arena of dietetics. I am feeling very blessed and much more “at ease” with the transition. You know, income and shelter…kinda, sorta important! 😉

It’s been a serious TASK to manage Lily, Mr. Prevention out of town during the week, 12-hour work days with my commute, and keeping a house on the market clean enough to be shown at any time! Plus, interviews and paperwork for real estate up to wazoo!

Happy birthday to my car! It is ONE year old today and has 24,550 miles on it! Holy moly!

Question: Do you drive a lot? How long is your commute to work/school each day?

Thanks for all your support and love during all my life changes! Means so much! Hugs!

Be well,

Mystery Gift

Over the weekend I made a few sweet treats 🙂

In the months leading up to our wedding last year, gifts arrived almost daily to our door step. It was like Christmas every day for weeks! One day, an ice cream maker (!!) arrived. Mr. Prevention and I were surprised to see this gift as we hadn’t registered for it, but thrilled nonetheless! I thanked my friend, the sender, and she responded with a confused, “I’m glad you like the gift…but I didn’t send an ice cream maker.” Huh? The mystery never got solved and the ice cream maker remained in its box until this weekend.

A tragedy, I now know!

Mocha Chip Ice Cream slightly adapted from Cuisinart

1 cup whole milk, well chilled
3/4 cup sugar
2-3 Tbsp instant espresso or coffee, to taste
2 1 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1 cup half-and-half, well chilled
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup chocolate pieces, roughly chopped

Directions:

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to combine the milk, sugar, and espresso powder until the sugar and espresso are dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cream, half-and-half, and vanilla. Turn the machine on, pour in the mixture, and let mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes. Add chocolate in the last 5 minutes of churning. Makes 10 servings, 1/2 cup each.

Nutrition Information (per 1/2 cup): 218 calories; 13.3 g. fat; 48 mg. cholesterol; 44 mg. sodium; 21.2 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 1.6 g. protein

Result: Lalalala…I was in heaven 🙂 I am a mocha chip ice cream lover! Using 1 cup of half-and-half in place of a second cup of heavy whipping cream cuts nearly 50 calories PER 1/2 cup, as well as 5.6 grams of fat. That’s a lot of calories and saturated fat removed without sacrificing any flavor.

And then after my blackberry extravaganza I made…

Blackberry Crisp from Homemade by Holman

2 pints fresh blackberries (about 4 cups)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup all purpose whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup 50/50 Smart Balance Blend butter, cold, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place berries in baking pan. Sprinkle berries with sugar. Combine lemon juice and cornstarch and stir until smooth. Pour over berries and toss together gently. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter using a pastry blender, forks or your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Top berries evenly with crumble mixture. Bake about 20-25 minutes until bubbly and topping is lightly browned. Cool about 15 minutes and top with vanilla ice cream or as desired. Serves 8.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 232 calories; 11.6 g. fat; 15 mg. cholesterol; 101 mg. sodium; 30 g. carbohydrate; 5 g. fiber; 1.5 g. protein

Result: This was divine! And so simple to make! I love that dessert can provide a good source of fiber, too! Most of the fat in this dish is mono and polyunsaturated and it is carbohydrate-friendly for a dessert. Thumbs up!

Question: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Have a super week!