I am definitely a summer person, and when summer starts to wind down I usually get depressed. No more flip flops or evenings spent lounging outside. But for the first time ever in my life, I am kinda looking forward to Fall. Not only has it been a million degrees and ridiculously humid every single day, but a five minute storm knocked out my power yesterday afternoon and it is STILL not back on. It’s too hot for the power company to be playing these kinds of games lol…but seriously, PEPCO has got to do better.
So after I packed up all of my stuff and left, I decided to treat myself and my parents (whose house I am crashing) to a refreshing dinner. I found this recipe for Lime Chicken Soft Tacos over at Creature Comforts (thanks Ez!), and it was delicious! I’m so glad I tried it out. I have some special dietary needs and this recipe was just perfect. What’s great is that you can tailor it to meet your own likes and dislikes. I chopped up each of the toppings and put them in bowls so that everyone could add what they wanted. I don’t eat dairy or very acidic foods so I left the cheese and salsa off of mine, but my mom added everything and loved the flavor! I also added a little cilantro to the recipe.
In addition to the taco, I also made some yellow rice with tomatoes and green peppers and some delicious corn from the farmer’s market. What a great end to a trying day 
Anyone else getting tired of this crazy summer heat or still without power in the DC area?? My neighbors and I all looked like runaways today (lol) packing our cars with our clothes and groceries we didn’t want to go bad.
My heart-shaped peach from the Farmer’s Market
One of my favorite things about summer is all of the delicious food available at the farmer’s market. I absolutely love all of the fresh fruit and vegetables. Being that yesterday was the first official day of summer (though it’s felt like summer for weeks here lol) I visited my local Farmer’s Market, Norman’s Farm Market.
Going to Norman’s kind of reminds me of going grocery shopping with my mom as a kid. Every once in a while she would let me snack on something while I was riding in the shopping cart. At the farmer’s market they always have fruit and things sitting out for you to sample while you shop (I know, I’m greedy) . Not only are the snacks great, but the staff at Norman’s is always so friendly. People just seem a little more happy at the farmer’s market, and that’s something I can definitely appreciate. During this trip I met Ann Nicholson and Chris Hale, and they were both SO nice and fun and were right there to answer any questions that I had about the food. I also have to give them props because they were out there all day and it was HOT outside. I also really like the fact that when I shop at my farmer’s market I know that the food has come from local farms and are free of harmful ingredients. Probably the only problem I have when I go to the farmer’s market is making sure I don’t buy too much! I usually pick up only what I can eat during the week so that it’s fresh. Some things, like berries, I actually buy a lot of and then freeze some of them because I like to have berries with my breakfast everyday.
Shout out to Chris workin’ hard
Since I was all excited about my fresh fruit, I decided to try out one of the recommended quick and easy grilled peach with blueberries, brown sugar and lemon recipes and it was delicious!Â
The next time I make it I may add to add a little ice cream on the side and maybe some granola
I have a serious sweet tooth and finding desserts that aren’t too high in sugar and that are dairy-free can be challenging. It can also be a challenge to find tasty drinks that aren’t loaded with sugar. I know that we’re supposed to drink a lot of water throughout the day, but let’s be honest we all need a little variety, right?! After getting sick (which I wrote about here, here & here) and having a restricted diet it has been that much more important for me to find delicious desserts to satisfy my cravings and tasty nourishing drinks. I have also found that more and more people are on missions similar to mine, which makes finding “diet-friendly” foods that much more rewarding. I really love being able to share what I’ve found and help others too!
My favorite new must have dessert is Purely Decadents Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream made with coconut milk. You don’t miss the milk at all. It is delicious! I can’t even tell you how many different types of dairy free ice cream I have tried and disliked because it didn’t have that rich ice cream flavor. So, finding this one really got me excited lol
I stumbled upon O.N.E when I was being nosey in the grocery store lol. I had just finished buying my groceries when I spotted a bottle of O.N.E in the basket of the woman behind me. She explained all the health benefits to me as well as how delicious it tasted. So, I left my groceries (we have a very friendly little neighborhood store  ) and went to the back of the store and picked up one. Now I’m hooked. They come in flavors such as passion fruit, guava, mango, and pineapple. They are full of electrolytes, potassium, and have no added sugar.
The last time that we saw Jessica’s Virginia Garden was back in may, when it was full of cute little seedlings, but nothing edible just yet. Â Well take a look at it now! Â It is well on it’s way to full slow food goodness.
There’s nothing better than fresh, locally grown food, and how much more satisfying it is when you’ve grown the food yourself. Â I don’t know about you guys, but all the unhealthy things done to our food these days just doesn’t work for me and has made me really conscious of what I’m putting into my body. Â Shout out to all the local farmers, organic food chefs, and foodies out there lol
What about you guys…anyone have a blossoming garden or fun food (or farmers market) story to share?  There are some really great fruits and veggies in season right now  :)
Tonight I’m making dinner for the fam  There’s nothing I like better on a hot and humid day, like today, than a light refreshing meal.  I love a big salad and seafood in the summer, so tonight we’re having a Mediterranean Style Chopped Salad and Lemon Salmon mmm mmm
Mediterranean Style Chopped Salad
Lemon Salmon
The Lemon Salmon is a very simple recipe that I make all the time because it is so fast and easy and very healthy. The Chopped Salad is actually a recipe that I found on the Examiner.
Have a great weekend!!!
Mediterranean Style Chopped Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
Salad
- 4-5 leaves of romaine lettuce, chiffonade (roll the leaves up like a cigar and slice thinly
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1/2 English cucumber, diced (you can use a regular cucumber, but just peel it first)
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
- Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (add as many as you please)
- Feta cheese, crumbled (I used motzerella instead)
- Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped slightly
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped fine
- added 2/3 pint of mushrooms because we love mushrooms
Lemon Vinaigrette
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions:
- Toss together the salad ingredients. Set aside.
- Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the lemons, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil (depends on how tangy you want it). Whisk thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.
NOTE: If you are taking this salad to a picnic, just be sure not to dress it with the vinaigrette until you are ready to serve it. To help keep salad mix crisp in the refrigerator, place a paper towel on top. The paper towel helps absorb any moisture that might get on the lettuce leaves.
Lemon Salmon
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb piece of fresh salmon
- One lemon, sliced and then cut into halves
- 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt, Fresh Ground Pepper, Garlic Powder
- Lemon and Pepper Seafood Seasoning (optional)
Instructions:Â
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Wash the salmon and place it in a shallow, oven safe dish.
- Brush the Olive Oil onto the Salmon. lemons, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive Season the salmon to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder. oil (depends on how tangy you want it).Â
- Cover the salmon with the lemon slices and place the salmon with the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until it is cooked well enough for your tasteÂ
Enjoy!!!
When we think of someone having a stroke, a child is the furthest thing from our minds. Â Pediatric strokes affect every 1 in 2300 to 4000 infants and children, however doctors know very little about what causes them. Â Check out my sister and nephew on CBS news Atlanta, helping to bring awareness to this issue. Â To help support this cause for these brave little ones, please go here. Â Thanks !!!!
The slow food movement originated in Italy, and celebrates local farmers, gathering friends around a table, telling stories, investing time to make a fresh handmade meal, and taking some “gratitude†time. Etsy is currently featuring selections that “create a meaningful food experience from garden to table”. Check them out! Who doesn’t enjoy a nice home cooked meal? I know I do! So I am all for the slow food movement. With the hustle and bustle of daily life, I love the idea of slowing down and savoring the moment. One of my favorite things about summer is the farmers market that opens up right down the street from my house. They have the best fruits and vegetables around, and with my new diet restrictions (for health reasons), fresh food is that much more important to me.
Here are some of my favorites…
Click to read the full post…
