This week included a cheat day for me. For Sean, however, there were several. I don’t think this experiment is meant to include cheat days, but Sean did have tickets for a beer fest and we had some other plans that involved beer. We could have abstained, but in reality we are not going to quit drinking beer. There was no “perfect” time to do this challenge, so we knew going in that life would just go on. Continue reading
Gluten-Free: Days 5-11
The bf and I have been continuing on our gluten free challenge all week. The weekend was really easy – we went apple picking and made lots of gluten-free dishes with the apples. Monday night the bf was volunteering at the brewery and didn’t have a sip of beer – I was so proud! We ate out after the brewery at a Mexican restaurant, but cooked at home the rest of the week which made it easy to stick to the challenge. Continue reading
Apple Crisp, Applesauce, and Pork with Apples: The Results of Our Apple Picking
Before we went apple picking last weekend, I made a plan of what I was going to make with all the apples. I ended up with three yummy recipes that all had to be gluten free due to our challenge: apple crisp, crockpot applesauce, and pork loin with cabbage and apples. Sound good? Read on and you can see how to make them. Continue reading
Fall Festivities: Apple Picking and Wine Tasting in Ellijay, GA
The weather has been gorgeous lately – mid-70s and sunny, with light breezes. I was looking for ideas of what we could do to spend a full day outside, and I thought apple picking would be the perfect thing.
While searching for orchards, I found a winery that was close to one of the farms. Apple picking followed by a wine festival complete with tastings, live music and a grape stomp in the North Georgia mountains sounded like an amazing way to spend an early fall Saturday. Continue reading
Gluten-Free: Days 1-4
The first few days of our gluten-free challenge have gone pretty smoothly. I planned out our lunches and dinners, as well as my snacks, so we’d have an easier time making the right choices.
On the first day we went to a local restaurant called Sun in My Belly and I regret to say I failed a little. I didn’t know it at the time, though. The bf and I each had a salad, and he had a pork chop with a sweet potato hash and greens. I ordered the mis-glazed salmon with marinated kale and cilantro couscous. I thought couscous was in the same vein as quinoa…oops! I discovered later that it’s made from semolina flour. I was disappointed that I made a mistake so early on in the challenge. However, I learned 2 main things from it: Continue reading
Gluten-Free for 3 Weeks
That’s right, I’m embarking on a “challenge.”
I’m often skeptical of challenges like these – after all, what really changes when it’s over? What keeps us from going back to exactly the way we were before? My friend Jesse, over at The Ripening, has been doing a series of 21-day challenges including going car-free, meditating, drinking only water, etc. This was very inspiring to me, especially when he described how the challenges DID stay with him. He rode his bike more often than before, would meditate frequently even if not daily, etc. Continue reading
Homemade Basil and Walnut Pesto
I’ve always enjoyed pesto, but haven’t had it on a regular basis. Last year, I picked up some local jalapeño pesto from the farmer’s market and I became slightly obsessed. It was good on crackers, toasted bread, tossed in pasta…the list went on and on.
This year I had three basil plants and more basil than I knew what to do with – especially now that the nights have gotten cooler. I know the basil is nearing the end of it’s life, so I figured some homemade pesto would be a great way to use up a lot of leaves at one time. The result was yummy – and much better than the mass-produced stuff at the grocery store. And it was cheap – I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen. Continue reading
Tori’s Famous Gazpacho
The weather in Atlanta has been hotter in September than in any of our summer months, which has prolonged the desire for summer salads, cool drinks and grilled meats. Normally, we’d be switching over to fall foods, decor and clothing but with days filled with 90+-degree temperatures, we’re still able to swim and shoot the ‘Hooch!
Another thing we’re enjoying with the hot days is a cold soup, specifically my gazpacho. I first tried gazpacho in Spain, which is where this cold vegetable soup originated. I was 15 at the time and didn’t care much for it, but my tastes developed over time and now I love it – so I’m going to share my recipe with you. Continue reading