superfoods for weightloss

today when i was perusing self.com, i came across a slideshow of 20 superfoods that help with weightloss.  looking through the the slideshow, i started to get pretty excited and then wonder why i am not a size zero...these are all foods that i like to eat! there are not any huge surprises in this list of superfoods but i thought it was worth sharing as a reminder.  when i go grocery shopping tomorrow, i am going to make sure to bring this list with me so i can stock up and hopefully be a size zero in no time (i just shouldn't hold my breath for that one..)

1. beef - if you keep it organic and lean it can help you take off the lbs instead of put them on!
2. eggs
3. oats - steel cut oats are even healthier than instant oats!
4. lentils - apparently these are an excellent belly flattener...these will be going to the top of my grocery list tomorrow!
5. goji berries

6. wild salmon
7. apples - apparently if you eat an apple before eating a bowl of pasta, you will consume less calories! awesome!
8. buckwheat pasta
9. blueberries
10. almond butter

11. pomegranates
12. chiles - i hate spicy food but adding some to your diet can cause your body to burn calories for 20 minutes longer.  no wonder my college roommate who loved spicy foods is so skinny!
13. yogurt
14. quinoa
15. sardines - these kind of gross me out but are so healthy they are worth a shot!

16. kale
17. tarragon
18. parmesan
19. avocado - my favorite food!! another reason why i should eat guacamole every day.
20. olive oil

check out the whole slideshow here

fortune cookie

today, my boss took our team out to lunch to a delicious chinese restaurant in town.  i'm pretty sure everyone's favorite part of eating chinese is the fortune cookie at the end.  i had a particularly inspiring fortune today, so i wanted to share it with all of you:

it's true, and something important to keep in mind.  if i'm ever feeling inferior, i'm going to try to think about what role i might be playing in the whole situation.  what am i doing or thinking that is making me vulnerable and allowing me to feel inferior in the first place?  in other words, focusing on only controlling the things that i have control over. 

recipe: orzo salad with lemon, mint, and fresh ricotta

for my birthday celebration one of the dishes my mom made was an orecchiette and ricotta salad and it was phenomenal.  since then i have been slightly obsessed with healthy versions of pasta salads.  this one from dean and deluca looks both simple to make and delicious!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup very finely diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup very finely diced seedless cucumber
1/2 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (about 3 ounces)
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

Directions:

1. Stir together the olive oil, shallots, lemon juice, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the orzo in a large kettle of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta completely in a colander, running under cold water. Transfer orzo to a bowl, stir in the olive oil mixture, and let cool. Stir in the bell pepper, cucumber, ricotta salata, and mint until combined well. You could serve the salad immediately, but we think it tastes best if you let it stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

recipe from dean and deluca picture from serious eats

american flag cake

you might have noticed by now that there are two things that i am a huge fan of - cake and america.  when i saw this cake over at cup of jo, i was estatic!  it is the best possible combination of the two. 

i am going to avalon this weekend with my family to celebrate the 4th and i just might need to add this cake to my to-do list!  i can't think of a better way to honor the best country's birthday than to eat a cake designed like the best flag in history...what do you think??

i am guessing my cake won't look nearly as good on the first try, but wish me luck anyways!

all images from glorious treats

tgif

tgif!  what's everyone have planned for the weekend?? it's supposed to be a fairly beautiful weekend, weather-wise, at least in philadelphia.  highs in the low 80s, lows in the low 60s and mostly sunny both days with only a 10% chance of rain each day.  it sounds like the perfect weekend to get outside and do something!  go for a hike or bike ride, day trip to the beach... or attend a phillies game!  they're back in town after playing away games for the past week. 

we're doing something really fun on saturday with a small group of our girl friends... a massive tailgate at the phillies stadium!  i found out about the tailgate from crossing broad, a philly blog that i read daily.  and let's just say that it didn't take much convincing to get alanna and the girls on board for a four hour, $10 all you can eat and drink tailgate for our favorite team.  it's the second such tailgate of the season, and they're expecting more than 250 people.  it sounds like a great way to spend a saturday afternoon and i hope that we meet lots of new friends who are phillies fans like us.  we won't actually be attending the game - trying to keep things cheap here! - but we will likely head to mcfadden's at the stadium to watch the game on tv with a good crowd.  if you want to join in on the fun, there are still ticketss available for the tailgate - here.

if you're in the philadelphia area and looking for something to do, the 22nd annual manayunk arts festival is also this weekend.  according to manayunk's website, "over the course of two days, artists from as many as 22 states bring the culture of arts and crafts to collectors, buyers and designers."  the restaurants, vendors and shops on main street host the event, offering delicious food and beverage options to add to the experience. 

whatever you end up doing this weekend, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable time as always :)

cinco de mayo!

tomorrow is obviously cinco de mayo, and i am getting excited!  in my mind, cinco de mayo always coincides with the time of year where we've already had some nice days but now it's like we know the warm weather is here to stay.  it's the perfect day to grab a table outside at your local mexican restaurant, or lounge on the back patio at a good friend's house for delicious food and cocktails.  if you're hosting a fiesta of your own, or need something to bring to a party you are attending, here are some delicious and healthy recipes that are sure to satisfy!


the one thing i most definitely won't be able to go without tomorrow is a margarita.  but to keep things low-calorie (so i can have more than one!), i'll be sipping on a skinnygirlTM margarita bethenny frankel style.  it's simple to make and only 100 calories!


image and recipe via bethenny.com

• 2 oz of clear premium tequila
• tiny splash of orange liquor
• juice of 4 fresh lime wedges

combine all ingredients over a glass of ice and garnish with a lime wedge

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i recently tried tamales for the first time and they were absolutely delicious!  if you haven't yet tried them, then cinco de mayo is the perfect time to do so.  the options for filling are pretty much endless, but here's one recipe and step-by-step instructions from cookinglight.com.  two tamales are under 300 calories!





photo by lee harrelson, via myrecipes.com



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anyone who knows me knows that i love fish tacos. 90% of the time i go to a mexican restaurant to eat, it's what i'll order.  so you better bet that's what i'll be chowing down on tomorrow!  unfortunately they probably won't be as healthy as this baja fish tacos recipe from health.com - two tacos are only 235 calories!  mmmMMmmm!

image via health.com

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bethenny does have a low-fat version of guacamole, which she coins "mock-a-mole", but i say go ahead and splurge on the real thing!