Today I am honored to be the guest blogger at Amee’s Savory Dish, a healthy living blog. Please read Amy’s story, Three words I never thought I’d hear.. then check out my post on her blog. With the help of Amee herself, and some of our mutual friends meet through the blog brulee, I’ve put together a playlist of fight/ fitness/motivational songs. If you have a favorite fight song, I’d love for you to share it in the comments below. But more importantly, please listen to the #ammestrong Playlist for whatever it is you might need a lift with right now.
Wrightsville Beach Turkey Trot 2015
A cool way to spend my Thanksgiving morning, raising money for Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity! The annual Wrightsville Beach Turkey Trot had 2500 runners this year and raised enough money for a new Habitat house! The course was familiar to locals, the Loop at Wrightsville Beach (with a slight modification to make the 5K distance). IMHO, the weather could not have been more perfect for running at the beach!
Of course, no run is complete without some fun costumes. The folks of Nelson’s Bay Oysters scored first place with their Oyster Roast getups.
How cute are they? And then there’s this canine. That face, though!
In addition to admiring Thanksgiving themed costumes and chatting with friends and neighbors, crossing the finish line was another highlight for many runners, myself included. This race proved to be my fastest 5K so far, finishing in 23:35 for a pace of 7:35 per mile and good enough for first in the Women’s Grand Masters. More race results here.
I have so much to be thankful for, including opportunities that promote the importance of wellness through exercise, nutrition and giving back. Happy Thanksgiving!
Peachy Grilled Zucchini Caprese Stacks or Summer Stacked Salad
A twist on the classic caprese salad includes grilled zucchini and fresh ripe peaches.
Disclosure: I have received a Produce Box mentioned in this post free of charge. I was not financially compensated for my time for writing this post. Opinions are my own.
The concerns of someone with a food and nutrition career are diverse. Today my thoughts focus on a ginormous problem: food waste: Estimates conclude 1/3 of our food is wasted, and the problem occurs throughout the entire food chain, from agricultural production, manufacturing and processing, transportation, in retail, restaurants and ultimately in homes.
Don’t be discouraged. We are good people! Individuals and organizations are working to change the situation. Case in point, The Produce Box is one local organization using farm to fork solutions aimed at the problem:
• They have expanded their services to include state-wide direct delivery. Now all residents are able to support NC farmers. If you live in North Carolina, sign up here.
• Outreach programs send fresh produce to families not able to afford it. Every week they send hundreds of pounds of extra bulk produce to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina . Last week 114 Hero Boxes were delivered to local veterans across North Carolina.
• During the summer, Produce Boxes were dropped off at YMCAs for kids living in food deserts to share at home.
• Everytime you order from the Produce Box, a portion of the proceeds go to helping those who need a helping hand.
•Finally, the Blogger Box, a new marketing campaign, is helping to ensure 100% of the harvests from all 40 Produce Box farmers is put to good use. Last week, the folks at the Produce Box asked me to build a box, and they put my name on it. How cool is that? The box, available for delivery this week, features produce I love (selected from a list of items ready for immediate harvest), along with a personal recipe for using the ingredients.
My recipe, using local, in-season produce was inspired by what I ‘m seeing in culinary magazines and on restaurant menus this summer. I’m putting a twist on the classic caprese salad by adding grilled zucchini and fresh ripe peaches. Here ‘s the result
Remember, by eating local and in-season, you not only nourish your body with healthy and delicious foods, you support your farm-neighbors, give back to the community, and aid the efforts to reduce food waste.
Peachy Grilled Zucchini Caprese Stacks or Summer Stacked Salad
A twist on the classic caprese salad includes grilled zucchini and fresh ripe peaches.
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini (about 3/4 pound) each cut diagonally into 12 slices
- cooking spray
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 4 vine ripe field tomatoes, cut into 6 (1/4 inch thick slices)
- fresh basil
- 3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 16 slices
- 16 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 medium peaches, pitted and sliced
Instructions
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Coat both sides of zucchini with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place on hot grill racks and grill 4 minutes per side.
3. Combine canola oil, white wine vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and honey in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
4. Arrange 8 tomato slices on a platter, top with basil leaf and stack with 1 zucchini slice, and 1 cheese slice. Add to stack (continuing to tuck basil between layers) with 1 zucchini slice, 1 tomato slice 1 cheese slice and 1 zucchini slice.
5. Drizzle with honey mixture. Sprinkle with cherry tomato halves , sliced peaches and fresh basil.
Recent Comments