My Saturday morning ritual has morphed from time to time but always includes a visit to the farmer's market. This time of year, it's in scenic and historic Deering Oaks Park. Starting my day with fresh fruits and vegetables, even if I'm simply taking it all in with my eyes and not my wallet, is calming, comforting and unsurpassable. There are always dogs wagging about, musicians playing for tips, friends and neighbors milling about and an abundance of colors. Occasionally, I bring a book and snack down to complete the experience. If you've never been, or go rarely, GO! Get your kale and lettuce, carrots and bell peppers, blueberries and more for salads and smoothies. Your healthy body will thank me later.
Speaking of healthy bodies, I just finished reading a book called A Year of No Sugar by Eve Schaub. It was a fascinating and education, yet witty story about a family of four who gave up sugar for a year. All sugar. Even agave and fruit juice. Hardcore! Their dedication to the project rewarded them with a lower tolerance of the taste of sweets. Someday....I know that I am personally "addicted" to sugar and I need to lower my consumption in order to lead a healthier and thus happier life.
This point was made much clearer to me during my morning boot camp class. I crashed and burned slightly but powered through. I felt terrible. What did most of the things I consumed contain yesterday? Large amounts of sugar. It was one of those days that that just sort of happened. A wonderful morning visit to Standard Baking Co was followed by a ferry ride and the farmers market. The French creations of breakfast were balanced out by my snack of whole bell pepper, carrot and blueberries. Later, my friend needed some cupcakes to disappear from her house and I was more than happy to take on the task. I "balanced" that gorge with tea and a banana. But then came an event I was working in Freeport. I was able to find a free vanilla latte AND free ice cream. Balanced by water..........Hmmm. I was so full of nutritionally empty items that I didn’t' even find a suitable dinner. I did brush my teeth extra well though.
On a lighter note, I've explored Portsmouth twice in the past month. The blog travels! The first trip, I found a new coffee shop called Breaking New Grounds to read outside and an "eclectic diner" called The Friendly Toast. At the diner, my eating companion and I ordered The Pit burger with sweet potato fries and the turkey club with onion rings. The burger was dry rubbed with bacon, deep-fried red onions, lettuce, cheddar AND jalapeno jack cheeses and finished with Carolina BBQ sauce. It. Was. Heavenly. And food-gasm-tastic. The fries were good but not crispy enough for my liking, whereas the onion rings were thick and excellent. The sandwich was very good as well and was a nice and "healthier" balance to our uber tasty burger. A walk to digest was necessary after this terrific meal!
The second time I made it to NH, the Wailin' Jennys were playing at Prescott Park. This Canadian band put on one heck of a free show and, since I went down alone, I was able to find a little seat on the grass not 15 feet from the stage. Not to shabby a night for me!
Speaking of healthy bodies, I just finished reading a book called A Year of No Sugar by Eve Schaub. It was a fascinating and education, yet witty story about a family of four who gave up sugar for a year. All sugar. Even agave and fruit juice. Hardcore! Their dedication to the project rewarded them with a lower tolerance of the taste of sweets. Someday....I know that I am personally "addicted" to sugar and I need to lower my consumption in order to lead a healthier and thus happier life.
This point was made much clearer to me during my morning boot camp class. I crashed and burned slightly but powered through. I felt terrible. What did most of the things I consumed contain yesterday? Large amounts of sugar. It was one of those days that that just sort of happened. A wonderful morning visit to Standard Baking Co was followed by a ferry ride and the farmers market. The French creations of breakfast were balanced out by my snack of whole bell pepper, carrot and blueberries. Later, my friend needed some cupcakes to disappear from her house and I was more than happy to take on the task. I "balanced" that gorge with tea and a banana. But then came an event I was working in Freeport. I was able to find a free vanilla latte AND free ice cream. Balanced by water..........Hmmm. I was so full of nutritionally empty items that I didn’t' even find a suitable dinner. I did brush my teeth extra well though.
On a lighter note, I've explored Portsmouth twice in the past month. The blog travels! The first trip, I found a new coffee shop called Breaking New Grounds to read outside and an "eclectic diner" called The Friendly Toast. At the diner, my eating companion and I ordered The Pit burger with sweet potato fries and the turkey club with onion rings. The burger was dry rubbed with bacon, deep-fried red onions, lettuce, cheddar AND jalapeno jack cheeses and finished with Carolina BBQ sauce. It. Was. Heavenly. And food-gasm-tastic. The fries were good but not crispy enough for my liking, whereas the onion rings were thick and excellent. The sandwich was very good as well and was a nice and "healthier" balance to our uber tasty burger. A walk to digest was necessary after this terrific meal!
The second time I made it to NH, the Wailin' Jennys were playing at Prescott Park. This Canadian band put on one heck of a free show and, since I went down alone, I was able to find a little seat on the grass not 15 feet from the stage. Not to shabby a night for me!