Month: January 2013

Favorite Things

Sadie1 Comment

I love shopping for workout clothes.  I use it as an excuse to buy super comfortable clothes in obnoxious colors.  What’s not to love!  Here are a few of my favorite new things I’ve purchased lately.

My New Favorite CaprisUA Capris

Under Armour has this new “StudioLux” line of clothes that seem to be a page out of the Lulu book. Sometimes I find the Lulu capris too thick or that they run kind of small in size. I think Under Armour did a nice job of coming up with a lux capri at a price point that is just little easier to swallow (unfortunately not too cheap).  They stay in place well while I work out, and look great too!Target CaprisI think Target is trying to jump on the same bandwagon.  I picked these up at Target the other day.  Just like the typical Lulu capris or the UA ones I got, they are a little longer than the average workout capri, and have a little extra style factor.  They don’t have quite the weight or probably durability of the other brands, but not bad.

My New Shoesnew gym shoes

I got two pairs of new shoes recently: one for running, and one for the gym.  I usually use the same pair for both but I always wondered if a wearing a running shoe to do a gym workout, or a cross training shoe to run was detrimental.  I will test them out and report back.  The above are Reebok’s RealFlex Fusion TR, my flashy new gym shoes (yes, that is the color I got)!NB

These I will only use for running outside.  I actually bought them at a running store, and the salesmen said they are a very popular lightweight option for many people. I’ve realized that lightweight is key for a running sneaker. I litterally feel like it’s easier to run if my shoes are lighter. I’m not in love with the black color, because I typically like something a little more interesting.  This was the only color they had in my size, but at least the mud and dirt from outside won’t be so visable!  They aren’t too much of a departure from my previous New Balance sneakers, and so far, so good!

Have you picked up any cute work out gear to get you motivated this new year?

Top Three at the Philadelphia Auto Show

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Today I went to the auto show in Philly with my dad, his friend and his friend’s son. Trust me when I say there was a lot more to look at than cars. The eye candy was more than a small town girl could ask for! Here are pics of my top three picks. My color scheme is quite patriotic.

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1. Who can go wrong with a Bentley convertible?

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2. I like Transformers and I love this Audi R8!

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3. Whenever I see a Lambourghini it makes me think of the First Wives Club!

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The Maserati convertible above and the turbo charged Cadillac below (I apologize for the blurriness) were runners up. I certainly wouldn’t mind owning them someday. They are all dream cars that I will never own because I am far too practical. But hey, that’s what dreams are for. What do you dream of?

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Easy Crispy Goat Cheese Salad

Sadie1 Comment

I often see posts on food blogs about recreating dishes from restaurants at home.  While I’m definitely jealous of this kind of ambition, I typically don’t try to duplicate restaurant dishes.  My philosophy is that the reason that I want to go to a restaurant is because I want something that I don’t want to make at home.

But as we know, there is an exception to every rule.  Every summer my family’s favorite vacation spot is Block Island, RI.  Most of the restaurants on this island are the typical burger places or seafood spots.  There is, however, one standout place that is a small hole in the wall on a side street.  The food is a step above everything else on the island, and you can usually tell by the hour long wait for a table any night of the week.

They have a great warm goat cheese salad.  It is an arugula salad with toasted sliced almonds, dried cranberries, sliced piquillo peppers, and warm crispy round of goat cheese on top.  I didn’t try to duplicate this salad exactly because I didn’t have all of the components on hand.  But I aimed to recreate the warm goat cheese and put together a good mix of textures and tastes to make a comprehensive side salad.  This is a great way to dress up your daily does of greens!

Crispy Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

Scale ingredients to number of servings required

Ingredients

  • Arugula
  • Traditional bread crumbs
  • Goat cheese (3 inch disc per serving, about 1/2 inch thick)
  • Dried cranberries
  • Spiced pecans
  • Olive oil (for goat cheese and dressing)
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Spread about a half cup of bread crumbs on a baking sheet (1/2 cup is enough for about four servings). Drizzle a little olive oil on the breadcrumbs, and toast in oven for about 5 minutes until golden brown.
  3. Allow bread crumbs to cool.  Cut goat cheese into discs that are about 1/2 inch think.  Form patties that are about 3 inches in diameter.  Brush a little olive oil on the goat cheese.  Coat the goat cheese discs completely with the cooled breadcrumbs.crispy
  4. Assemble the salad by combining the arugula, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans.  Season with salt and pepper and dress with oil and vinegar.
  5. When the salad is almost ready to be served, warm the goat cheese up in the oven again for about 5 minutes until warmed through.
  6. Plate the salads, and place a crispy goat cheese disc on top of each salad (it’s easier to serve this plated in individual portions instead of in a big salad bowl).ready for the table