So sad the weekend is over, this one just flew by.

This past Saturday I got to do something fun though. We had another Atlanta blogger meet-up, this time at R. Thomas, a strange little place that focuses on healthy food with a veggie focus. It’s a pretty eclectic place, with tropical birds in cages and detailed gardens surrounding it.

I hadn’t been there in several years so I was excited to get to go back. Please forgive these crazy photos, the lighting in there is all neon green flourescent.

I started with a Vitality juice, carrot with a “green superfoods” powder added. It tasted very…carroty. Good for me though.

I decide to try something really different for me and went with one of their raw plates.

This was just ok. Both of the salads were bland, the walnut sunflower loaf was really salty, and the guac was very moussey when I much prefer it chunky. Nothing was bad, just not awesome and not very filling.

No matter, this is what I was really there for…

Kristy snapped that one of me totally immersed in my camera.

It’s so nice to hang out with a whole table full of people who also take pictures of their food, makes me feel less weird. Surprisingly, we didn’t talk much about blog stuff, we never really do at these things.

Tina was nice enough to bring us samples of LoveGrown granola and Lindsay brought several types of Snickers Marathon bars for us to choose from. Yay, goodies!

I can’t believe how big our group is getting, and this was just the ones that could make it!

From left to right – Back: Lauren, Myself, Lee, Lindsay, Laura, Kristy, Brooke.

Front: Carol, Katy, Laura, Tina, Katie

Awesome group of girls! Can’t wait for the next one!

August 1, 2011 Alayna Discussion 5 comments

I’ve had a streak of really delicious meals lately. Here’s what’s been making my tummy happy over the last few days…

I used some of the baked apples I made recently over a big dollop of Greek Gods fig yogurt. That has got to be the most delicious yogurt I’ve ever tasted. It has real fig puree in it not just a flavoring, so it’s very earthy and thick. With some toasted buckwheat on top, this was a killer combination.

And I had that same yogurt again today over some strawberries, grapes, and pineapple. I topped it with some puffed amaranth and it was awesome! The grapes tasted especially amazing with the fig yogurt.

I washed it down with the last of our keemun tea. This tea has a deep roasted aroma like coffee beans or smoldering wood. Love the reflection in it!

And for lunch I had a salad with a side of jackfruit and a sliced orange…

I rarely enjoy the salads that I make for myself, but this one was fantastic! It was mixed baby lettuces, Trader Joe’s broccoli slaw, sprouts, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, avocado, and Annie’s red pepper dressing. Tasted amazing and had great texture.

I am still so surprised by the flavor of jackfruit with every bite! It is so unusual but totally delicious. I’ve also been eating oranges like they’re going out of style. I’m eating 2 a day sometimes!

And check out this amazing and easy dinner we had last night…tostadas con huevos!

It was a flour tortilla toasted up in the oven and then topped with vegetarian refried beans, salsa, 2 fried eggs, monterrey jack cheese, and sour cream. Served it up with a sliced avocado.

And it could not be simpler to make…

Tostadas con huevos

A quick and delicious Mexican dish with fresh eggs as the star.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 flour tortillas
• 4 eggs
• half a can of vegetarian refried beans
• salsa of your choice
• 1/2 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
• salt, pepper, and olive oil
• serve with sour cream and sliced avocado

Cooking Directions

1. Rub olive oil over both sides of tortillas and season with salt and pepper.
2. Toast tortillas on both sides under the broiler until barely golden and crisp.
3. Fry eggs 2 at a time in a non-stick pan and set aside.
4. Spread refried beans over crisp tortillas, top with eggs, salsa and cheese.
5. Broil tostadas until cheese is melted and bubbly, careful not to burn the tortillas.
6. Top with sour cream and serve with sliced avocado if desired.

So much good food lately! I’m on a roll!

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten today?

July 9, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 6 comments

Awesome lunch!

I used up a few things that were lying around in my fridge; an opened can of vegetarian refried beans, some sprouts that were about to go bad, slice of cheese, leftover avocado, sriracha, and the last tortilla I had, all to make this amazing “grilled” burrito.

I had an apple topped with cinnamon to go with it. Really good lunch for using up scraps!

And then I forced myself to chug down this whole glass of water over about 30 minutes.

I have never been a very thirsty person, and I want to believe that our bodies know what we need and therefore you don’t really need more water if you don’t feel thirsty, but I think I’m gonna try to drink a lot more for a while and see if I feel any better from it.

I haven’t been feeling poorly or anything, it’s just an experiment.

My new rules are:

• either drink a glass of water immediately upon waking or finish at least three cups of tea by noon.
• eat at least one hydrating fruit per day such as citrus or apples.
• full glass of water with any rigorous physical activity
• entire glass of water by myself with dinner (my husband and I always share one.)
• always request water when drinking alcohol, finish as much of it as possible.
• always carry a thermos of water with me in the car

I think employing these new rules will really force me to incorporate more fluids than I am currently. After one month, I’ll try to evaluate wether or not I see or feel a real difference. Hopefully, trying this will also help to forge some new healthy habits in me and I won’t have to think about wether or not I’m drinking enough anymore.

And no more feeling like I’m gonna pass out in my yoga class!

How much water do you think you realistically drink in a day? Do you have any more tips I can use to keep hydrated?

February 11, 2011 Alayna Discussion 7 comments