From the monthly archives:

June 2010

Healthy Eating: Paying Attention to What I Eat

by Megan on June 30, 2010

Ever since returning from Asheville, I’ve been in the mood for fresh, local foods. Asheville began to turn me into a food snob, I suppose, because everything there was fresh, healthy, locally grown, and/or organic. I felt great after every meal I ate, rather than feeling sluggish and unsatisfied.

I’ve never been much of a junk food person. I’ve always enjoyed my vegetables, and I hardly ever ate candy as a kid. Even now, you’ll rarely find junk food in our pantry. Husband hasn’t had caffeine in nearly a year, and I stopped drinking sodas over two months ago, so we mostly have water and juice in our fridge. We have been looking at the labels lately as well, and we’re trying to stay away from high fructose corn syrup. Honestly, anytime I get anything, if I see high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient, I’m immediately turned off. Just the sound of it is bleh to me now.

I’m not a vegetarian, nor do I have any intentions of becoming one anytime soon; however, I’m cutting red meat out of my diet for now–I’ve never been a fan of it, anyway. Mostly, the only meat I’m eating is chicken and seafood (tilapia and shrimp, mainly), and even chicken grosses me out at times. I’ve always thought of a meal as meat being the main ingredient and veggies being the “side dishes.” Now, I’m seeing it the other way around. In reality, meat isn’t something I’m requiring in a meal anymore.

I’m still learning to look at labels on everything. I want to make sure I have enough protein if I don’t eat meat for every meal. (If you have suggestions for cooking tofu, send them my way!) I’m also buying fresh produce locally (it’s cheaper, closer, tastes much better, and it isn’t mass-produced) when I can and when it’s available.

Even though we’ve only been home from Asheville for a little over a week, I’ve felt healthier. I’ve had more energy, and I’ve been craving fruits and salads and homegrown vegetables (which should be ready soon)! It’s a nice feeling.

Ingredients in the salad above: Spring mix, chopped apple, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, snack mix (whole almonds, raisins, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), fresh tomato, fresh cucumber, cheddar cheese, and poppyseed dressing. I also had a slice of bread with almond butter.

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Asheville: Revisited

by Megan on June 28, 2010

I’ve been dying to write a recap about Asheville, but I wanted it to be perfect. I know there is no way I’d be able to completely do it justice, so I’ve decided to share some of the highlights along with pictures. I’ve told myself that I can’t write about anything else until Asheville is written about, and there are several things–Four Little Pots, healthy eating, my baby-kitties–that I want to write about, so it’s now or never.

Hotel Indigo is probably the most amazing hotel I’ve ever stayed in. It was literally a 5-minute (or less) walk to everything downtown (so we rarely drove over the weekend), and the room was beautiful with the most amazing view of the mountains.

Not only that, but the staff was very welcoming, and after tweeting pictures of breakfast from the hotel restaurant (@PhiBarAsheville), the man who tweets for them came to our table to introduce himself AND we’ll be getting a twitter discount–see, twitter is good for something!–during our next stay at Hotel Indigo (@AVLindigo151). (Believe me, there will be more trips!)

The food in Asheville has always been my favorite part, and this time it was no different. We ate at Early Girl Eatery, Laughing Seed Cafe (twice!), Tupelo Honey Cafe, Bistro 1896, and My Father’s Pizza (on Black Mountain). We ate a delicious and filling breakfast every morning at our hotel–I had a bagel with cream cheese, a HUGE fruit & yogurt parfait topped with granola, and a large cup of organic chai while Husband enjoyed a scone with his parfait and water.

Friday evening, while we were waiting for dinner at Tupelo Honey Cafe, there was a drum circle going on in the park right next door. We were able to enjoy some (free!) entertainment while we waited fifty minutes on our table (we wanted to sit outside, so we opted to wait as long as that took), but it literally felt like ten minutes. Earlier in the day, we went to Laughing Seed Cafe for lunch. It’s an award-winning vegetarian restaurant, and I admit, I was a little nervous to try a vegetarian dish–I didn’t know what to expect!.  tried their Tico Burrito (It had tico tofu, sour cream, avocado, cheese, and I can’t remember what else), and it was probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten. It was so full of flavor! Along with my burrito, I had a blue corn chips and a salad with creamy ranch dressing. I drank an herbal tea called Berry Bliss that was sweetened with honey. We even liked it so much that we went back the next day for dinner (I had whole grain risotto with grilled tempeh–amazing!).

Saturday evening, we walked by the same park that had the drum circle the night before, and a jam band was playing. I just love how everyone gathers together to enjoy music and creativity. People were dancing around and smiling–it was lovely. I tried to get a video, but I wasn’t close enough, so it didn’t turn out too well. Ah, maybe next time!

Sunday morning, we had to leave, but we didn’t want to end our trip too quickly, so we made our way to Black Mountain. It’s maybe a fifteen minute drive from downtown, and we absolutely love the small-town feel of it. We got there before anything opened, so we walked around some and enjoyed the quiet. I ended up buying a few gifts for my family there, and we also ate at My Father’s Pizza. Honestly, they have the best pizza I’ve ever had. Eventually, we made our way home (we live less than three hours from Asheville), but I’m already hoping to go back next year, if not sooner.

This trip was the perfect way to celebrate our 2-year anniversary and begin our third year of marriage. I couldn’t ask for a better place to be. I absolutely love that Asheville is a big city, but it’s a relaxing, laid-back city. I’m already looking forward to our next trip back.

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On What’s Next This Summer

by Megan on June 23, 2010

Before sitting down to actually write a recap that will do Asheville justice, I thought I’d write about what’s next. Up until this past weekend, I’ve had Asheville to look forward to. Now, I feel like I have nothing going on until school starts the last week of August. Of course, that isn’t true. Really, though, what do I have on my agenda for the next two months?

Four Little Pots. Kyla was thoughtful enough to start this little project for us, and I signed up immediately. I received my seeds several weeks ago, but I’ve lacked the time needed to devote to them, so I’ve put it off. Now, I have no excuse–I have the time to start this fun project! Hopefully, things will go well because I’d like to use some cucumbers from our family’s garden to make homemade dill pickles! You bet I’ll be blogging about this little gardening adventure!

Summer-lovin’. I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed what summer has to offer thus far. (Okay, so summer only officially began on Monday, but it’s been in the 90s here for several weeks.) We have a perfect deck on our house (that Husband just pressure-washed, so it looks brand new) to grill out on. We’re going to be purchasing a grill sometime this week, and I want to make homemade lemonade and sangria and have a cookout with fresh veggies from the garden. Not only that, but my in-laws’ pool is ready, so we’ll be swimming several times a week, if I have anything to say about it! (It doesn’t hurt that my in-laws’ house is literally just behind our house.)

Decorating/remodeling. I’ve been wanting to get some color on our walls for quite some time. I’m looking at sage walls and chocolate brown accents for the main bathroom and maybe a light grey for our office. I’d like to get them both painted before school starts. Maybe once we add some color and hang photos on the walls, the house will feel more like home.

Biking/Running/Loving Myself. I don’t spend enough time on myself. I waste hours watching tv or reading blogs, and while that is okay sometimes, it’s not okay when the outdoors are calling. I want to learn to love running and biking, even when the weather isn’t perfect. I want to practice my yoga and learn to look within myself. I want to treat my body with respect and eat foods that are fresh and clean. I admit, I may need some help on this part, so if you’re willing to help guide me in the right direction, feel free to.

So, what are your plans for the remaining months of summer?

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Guest Blog: Ellie from Wish Me Not

by Megan on June 19, 2010

While I’m in Asheville celebrating my 2-year wedding anniversary, Ellie from Wish Me Not is filling in for me today. Enjoy her story of how she met and began dating her boyfriend and of a trip to Asheville they took together.

Let’s start with the introductions, shall we? I’m Ellie from Wish Me Not. I’ll be filling in for Megan while she’s in Asheville with her husband for their lovely anniversary getaway. While the two of them are in Asheville, I thought I would do a little reminiscing.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been dating a wonderful man for over three years now. Boyfriend and I went to the same high school, but neither of us really knew each other then. In the last two years of high school or so, I shared a few classes with him and developed this immense crush. For some reason, when I looked at him I saw something that no one else did. He was sweet, charming, and such a flirt! But he was dating a fellow classmate from choir. She was a sweet person and I’m not the type to interfere in someone’s happiness. So I stood by and just waited to see if the crush would pass or if by some chance I could be friends with him. High school ended and we wound up at the same college by some miracle (on the same part of campus too).

When I entered college I was this small, shy person who had no experience with the opposite sex. Lucky for me that I chose a college which was primarily inhabited by males. I kid, I didn’t choose the college for it’s overwhelming population of the male sex. Though I will tell you that our ratio is about 70% male to 30% female. Mhm, “the odds are good but the goods are odd” was the saying I learned when I entered college. As I’m so shy, I didn’t know how to approach him or any other guys. During our first year I began to know him better as a friend and eventually learned that he’d broken up with the girl from choir. I was told by several friends that she had been mean to him and quite controlling. It was a drastic change from the image I had of her. I waited a while to give him time because I thought it was the right thing to do. Eventually we hung out more and more. He had plenty of girls surrounding him throughout the first year and I thought that there was no way that he’d ever look at me.

Of course what happened next was just as surprising to me as it was to everyone else. I asked him out. This small, shy creature who never would have had the guts before, stood up and asked him to dinner. And he said “I’d love to!” I will always remember that moment because it changed everything. Our first date was special. I’ll admit that our “first” technical kiss was initially disappointing. But as he walked away, I turned to watch him go. The next thing I knew, he’d turned around and was suddenly making his way towards me. He told me that he was so embarrassed about the kiss and wanted to know if he could try it again. I’d never been so speechless. The next moments were those that I will remember forever. He swept me up in his arms and kissed me. I felt as if I was inside some sort of fairytale. He was worth the wait, every moment, every refusal I’d given to another guy that first year. From there it was a whirlwind and now we’ve been together for over three years. The three best years of my life, honestly.

The Boyfriend and I have been to Asheville twice now. And it would not surprise me if we ended up visiting Asheville for a third time in the near future. Each time we went to visit, we would explore more and more of the downtown area. We are far from experts, but we’ve sort of picked out our little spots, the ones that we know are welcoming and offer us something unique. We absolutely fell in love with Asheville the first time we visited. (we went to celebrate my 21st) But the second trip (for our 2nd year anniversary) was where we really had a chance to explore. It wasn’t until a little while after our second visit that I concluded that Asheville had enough potential to be one of the cities we might live in once we are married. Maybe not permanently, but I wouldn’t mind living there for a year or two.

While we were in Asheville we explored the downtown area a lot and the newer area a little. The newer area is what you would expect for a moderate to large sized city. There’s a mall, various eateries, and other amenities you’d expect. Nothing extraordinary, so I’ll just skip over that bit. In downtown there are a few places that we ate at and went to that really struck a note with us.

  • Our first meal was a dinner and we found it by simply walking around until we found some place that looked appealing to us. It was a little Mexican place that had wonderful food and the best margarita I’ve ever tasted. We shared a meal and some ceviche. Both were wonderful.
  • One of the nights we were there we went to this little chocolate/dessert bar. When we stepped inside I felt like I was in heaven. Oh the chocolate! We shared a wine glass that was filled with tiramisu, Boyfriend had a small cup of pure melted chocolate, and I had a small mocha coffee.
  • Another place that we loved was this little french cafe. I believe this was one of the last places we ate at before we headed home. I had some delicious salmon and the Boyfriend had some mussels, or was it oysters? Hmm. Both are slimey looking. But the best part about the place was the atmosphere. We had to wait a while to be seated but it was worth the wait. In between the kitchen and main dining area there was this little courtyard with very limited seating. You got a peak at the people walking down the street but were kind of secluded. It was definitely a couples area. It was just so picturesque.
  • I’ll mention my favorite shop while I’m at it. There was this little clothing shop somewhere in the heart of downtown. I’d recognize it by sight, but I almost never remember names unless I write them down. Of course then I typically lose that paper. But anyways, this little shop had one particular dress that I fell in love with immediately. And since this was during our first trip, partly to celebrate my birthday, the Boyfriend bought it for me! I was so thrilled. I came out of the dressing room with my eyes all glazed over and he knew I wanted it. I was going to purchase it myself but after putting my things back on and coming out, he promptly took it from me and kissed me, wishing me a happy birthday.

We walked around a lot, scouting out potential sites for lunch/dinner and just browsing. That’s mostly how we spent our time in Asheville. It is just nice to walk around the downtown area. We browsed so many little shops and beer stores. The Boyfriend was quite happy to browse beer stores. I don’t remember every single shop that was there, but there were a few that really stuck with me (like the ones I mentioned). That’s my little taste of Asheville.

Feel free to visit me where I write on a regular basis,Wish Me Not, or Nonsensically Yours, which is where I write about food.

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