Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 07:14 AM
This week, my colleague, Rob, who handles nuval.com, gave me a very difficult request. He asked me to identify about 20 – 30 “best recipes” that have appeared here on A Better Bag of Groceries. Rob is planning to use more of my recipe content on Facebook (great idea!), thus the request. It was so hard to choose! I love all of the recipes that I have written about here on the blog. I wouldn’t waste my time (or yours) by putting up a less-than-yummy recipe. But the exercise of going through all of the posts and reviewing the photos gave me a unique opportunity to remember some of my favorites.
While I had all my recipes out, I thought I would give you my all-time favorite Top Ten Recipes from almost three years of A Better Bag of Groceries!
1. Avocado Salsa
This recipe first appeared on the blog in September 2009. I was brand-new to blogging back then and I didn’t even use photos yet (horrors!) So, the original post doesn’t have any pretty pictures, but it does have the recipe. I have Karen, my hairdresser to thank, not only for my blond highlights, but for this amazing recipe that gets rave reviews whereever I bring it. In fact, Karen suggests that when you bring Avocado Salsa to a party, that you just bring a stack of pre-printed recipe cards and leave them next to the bowl. Everyone will want to know. I once brought this to a girls’ getaway weekend. 5 women, 1 bowl – gone in 45 minutes. ‘Nuf said. When I make this, I bring half the recipe to the event du jour, and save the other half for home. We eat it on salads, in wraps, alongside grilled chicken. The lemon juice in the recipe gives the avocado some staying power.
2. Panic Salad
Like so many couples with jobs and kids, my husband and I find ourselves on a treadmill most of the time. And yet, we don’t want to stop entertaining just because life became too busy. That’s how Panic Salad came to be. It was a Friday night. We had walked through the door from work at 6 pm. Friends were coming over at 6:30 pm. We had ordered pizza, but I wanted something healthy to go along with it (to decrease the pizza consumption and increase the veggie consumption). Panic salad is less of a recipe and more a list of ingredients you can stop and pick up on your way home. It’s what you make when you’re in a panic – but it makes life much less stressful.
3. Shrimp Pasta Primavera with Basil Pesto
I first made this incredible pasta last summer, thanks to Catherine Katz. I was looking for an easy-to-transport dinner that I could bring to the Pool Club. We have such a great time swimming, playing tennis, playing basketball and wiffleball there -that we often stay right through dinner time. But the snack bar choices are pretty limited. So, I was determined to bring a nutritious dinner that I could feel good about. This was perfect! And it can be elegant too. My friend Tracey made it for a bridal shower!
4. Rachel Ray’s Sloppy Turkey Joes
This is a great recipe for kids. Not only will they love eating these Sloppy Joes, but they will love making them. The recipe is written in very specific language for kids. For example, it tells them what to do if they touch the turkey with their hands (go wash them.) When the kids were smaller, we could get leftovers out of this recipe – and they re-heated so well. So, you could always make this ahead and just warm it up after a late baseball or lacrosse game. We serve it on whole wheat rolls.
5. Runner’s World Sweet Potato Muffins
My boss Leslie turned me on to this delicious recipe from Runner’s World magazine. These muffins are always moist, never dry. They make a great breakfast, mid-morning snack or pre-run energizer. I’m not normally a muffin-eater, but when I make these, I eat a muffin every day. So delicous!
6. Pan-Seared Tilapia
This was the very first Catherine Katz recipe I ever made. And now this month marks Catherine and my two year anniversary of “Cooking With Catherine Katz” on A Better Bag of Groceries. Really, you could fill all top ten spots with Catherine recipes. They are all amazing. The sauce for this tilapia tastes so scrumptious and decadent – you will think that there is something “bad” in the recipe, but there is not. Here is what I wrote in my original post: “I felt like we were eating in a restaurant -until I saw the dishes in the sink and realized that we would be doing them.”
7. Cool Chinese Vermicelli
This has been one of my favorite recipes for a long time. I thank my friend Heather for introducing me to Cool Chinese Vermicelli. There’s nothing else like it on a hot summer day. I make it with a high-scoring pasta, like Barilla Plus, NuVal score of 91, to get the most bang for my buck. And now I have a whole new appreciation for this recipe because someone made a Pinterest pin out of this photo that I took out on my back deck two springs ago. In fact, you can see all of the A Better Bag of Groceries Pinterest Pins here. They’re lovely!
8. Pistachio-Lemon Chicken
There are some recipes that I will tell you are “dinner-party worthy” and that is the case with Catherine Katz’s Pistachio-Lemon Chicken. In fact, I did make it for a dinner-party. At first, it seemed a bit daunting to try to make a main dish on the stove top with 8 dinner guests in attendance, but Catherine assured me “If you have all your ingredients laid out on the kitchen counter before you start, you can make this dish in 15 minutes from beginning to end.” She was right. It’s so easy. And delicious.
9. Pasta Fra Diavolo
I love to make this dish when we’re vacationing near the ocean – or when people come to visit us. I like to show off the best of New England’s seafood in this easy dish. While I could make the sauce from scratch, I typically opt for a jarred sauce. The weather is warm and I want to play outside! There are some great, high-scoring jarred sauces to choose from. Why not experiment?
10. Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies from Catherine Katz absolutely had to make the top ten list! Everyone has been making them. And they have been adding extra twists to this simple 4-ingredient recipe. My friend Robin adds an egg or two. Catherine has even started adding oats as an alternate ingredient. Yes, they are cookies. But you will feel like you are eating a high-protein snack. All that almond meal – with gooey chocolate. Yum!!
Wow – I probably could keep going and add another ten recipes to that list. I can easily think of a few that should have made the cut to the top ten. I admit, I went with recipes that were a little more Spring/Summer too, given the time of year. So, I apologize if your favorite didn’t make the list. Can you see why the task that Rob gave me was so hard?!
Question of the Day
What’s your favorite recipe from A Better Bag of Groceries?
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Best Recipes
Tags: recipes
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 08:12 AM
It’s Wordless Wednesday! On these days, I let the pictures do the talking. You know, that “thousand words” theory. I also love to hear your comments on these days. The comment line is now open!
Yesterday’s Winner
Congratulations to Commenter #10, Kelly O-Ski! You’ve won the Wild Rice Giveaway. Please send an email to me at abetterbagofgroceries@gmail.com with your mailing address so that I can ship your prize out to you. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Wordless Wednesday
Tags: Wordless Wednesday
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 07:08 AM
It’s Trade-Up Tuesday, everyone’s favorite day here at A Better Bag of Groceries! Every Tuesday I blog about a trade up I’ve made since learning about NuVal scores and I give away something for free. Blog readers who have been with me since the very beginning might remember when I first discovered that the rice I was buying for my family only scored a 3 on the NuVal scale. I was horrified! I had no idea! I’ve come such a long way since those days, trying new and different foods after learning about the NuVal scores.
Today, I thought I would focus on the rice category. I had the opportunity to spend a little time in a Big Y store a couple of weeks ago. It’s amazing what you can learn when you are in a supermarket aisle with NuVal scores on the shelf. I spied these four high-scoring rices.
Brown Basmati Indian Rice with a NuVal score of 82…
Canadian Lake Wild Rice with a NuVal score of 91…
Konriko Wild Pecan Brown Rice with a NuVal score of 73…
Lundberg Wild Rice Blend with a NuVal score of 91…
I opted to include those four rices instead of this Vigo Yellow Saffron Rice with a NuVal score of 5.
Some of these, like the Konriko Wild Pecan Brown Rice, would make a great side dish on its own. It cooks up in 25 minutes. While others, such as the Lundberg Wild Rice Blend and Canadian Lake Wild Rice, you might blend together with chopped apricots, chopped almonds and a light vinaigratte to make a rice salad. Rice is so versatile – I’m just glad that I’ve discovered the NuVal scores to help me make the best choices in this category!
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky reader will win all four of the wild rices shown. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me how you like rice (in a bowl, on the side, in a burrito, in sushi – the possibilities are endless!) I’ll select one winner at random at 8 am Eastern on Wednesday April 18th. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: rice, Trade-Up Tuesday
Monday, April 16, 2012 at 07:15 AM
Today marks the running of 116th of the Boston Marathon. I love Marathon Monday! While running a marathon is not on my personal bucket list, I have been a spectator at several Boston runnings and today I cheer on my good friend Pete who usually posts a Lance Armstrong-like time. Over the years, I’ve noticed a certain phenomenon that takes place almost immediately after the athletes have crossed the finish line. The rest of the population of Massachusetts decides to go out running. And I suspect that many of them are beginners to the sport. So today I have a post for those of you who would like to become runners.
First of all, let me just say that I am not a great runner – at all! While I love the convenience of running, the meditative benefits, getting outside, it is a sport that I struggle with physically. I blame it on my flat feet which lead to my mal-aligned knees. Nevertheless, I run. Just no marathons.
10-Week-Couch-to-30-Minute Running Plan
The first time I started running, I was in tip-top shape. I was 29 years old and I worked out a lot. So, I just went out and ran. No big deal. I was up to 4 miles in no time. The second time I started running I was still in good shape, but I had two babies, I was sleep-deprived, and I was over 35. That time I followed this 10 Week Couch-to-30 Minute running plan. And I did it with a couple of neighbors, so it really helped to keep me on track.
The following running plan uses a one and two day break period. For example run Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Rest on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday when a gentle walk can often be beneficial although remember these are rest days. If any week is particularly tiring, just repeat it the following week instead of pushing to step up to the next stage.
- Week 1: Run 2 minutes, walk 4 minutes. Do this 5 times
- Week 2: Run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes. Do this 5 times
- Week 3: Run 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes. Do this 4 times
- Week 4: Run 7 minutes, walk 3 minutes. Do this 3 times
- Week 5: Run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 3 times
- Week 6: Run 9 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 2 times then run 8 minutes 1 time
- Week 7: Run 9 minutes, walk 1 minutes. Do this 3 times
- Week 8: Run 13 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 2 times
- Week 9: Run 14 minutes, walk 1 minutes. Do this 2 times
- Week 10: Run 30 minutes. Do this once and celebrate
Runner’s World Magazine May 2012: Special Beginner’s Guide
If you are going to take the plunge to begin to run (or even if you already are a runner), I highly recommend the May 2012 issue of Runner’s World. I picked it up (even though I’ve been running since 1999). Beginner or not, it’s a fantastic issue, especially for those of us who are not running Boston today!
It was this highlight on the cover that caught my eye!
I’ve been doing this move with my foam roller, that I found on Pinterest.
But I never even thought of this one that I read about in the article.
And I love these tips on what to eat before a mid-day run.
15-30 minutes before…
30-60 minutes before…
and 60-90 minutes before a run.
And there are just some great questions and answers for beginning runners. Like is it OK to take breaks?
By the way, when I’m having an off day, I use my heart rate monitor for walk breaks. I let my heart rate go down about 20 beats per minute and then it’s back to running again.
I also loved this question about what to do if you are attacked by a dog.
And of course, there’s advice from supermodel-turned-runner, Christy Turlington.
Those are two great tools for those of you looking to begin running.
Finally, I leave you with two things:
First, when you start running, you will notice that your muscles will get tight! So, don’t forget to stretch. I love this article on 13 Yoga Poses for Runners from SparkPeople. When I teach my Pilates class, I always spend extra time stretching my students’ IT bands, hip flexors, and hamstrings, because many of my students are also runners.
Second, as you get started on your running journey, take some time to read this quote that I found on Pinterest. I’ve posted this before, but I love it so much, that I’m posting it again.
Question of the Day
What’s the hardest thing about running? What’s the best thing about running?
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: running
Tags: Boston Marathon, running
Friday, April 13, 2012 at 07:10 AM
Happy Fitness Friday! For today’s fitness-inspired post, I bring you A Better Bag of Groceries “favorite”: Two of My Favorite Things. Here are two of my new favorite fitness things.
1. Spin Shoes
For spinning aficionados, spin shoes are nothing new. But for me they are. I really don’t know why I was so slow to buy spin shoes. And when I say “slow”, I mean “slooooooooowwwwwww.” I’ve been Spinning since 1998. I’ve heard that Spinning in real spin shoes will change the way you work in Spin class, but I just never got around to buying them. Then last week, I was on my way back from a visit to the Walpole Big Y when I received a cell phone call that I had to take. I pulled into a parking lot so that I could give the call my undivided attention. After wrapping up the call, I looked up and saw that I was parked in front of Foxboro Bike. Well, today was the day!
Thanks to the guys at Foxboro Bike, I was quickly sized, fitted with clips and on my way. I emailed my Spin instructor to give her a heads up that I’d be coming in early to class to figure out how to clip in (and out!) before she got going. It was actually much easier than I expected. Much easier than getting in and out of skis! And what they say is true! My stride was smoother, I used my hamstrings more in conjunction with my quads, and my whole ride was more efficient. Yes, these shoes were an investment ($120 after the clips were added) but they will last for a very, very long time. You don’t wear them out like running shoes. And I feel like I’m getting a whole new workout! For more on why Cycling Shoes are worth the investment, check out this article from Fitsugar.
2. BicBands
My hair gets in my face – and it drives me crazy! I have these bangs – but my hairstylist and I made a joint decision to make them sort of side-swept a few months ago. And I like them…
except that now when I work out they really get in my face. Especially when I run or spin. So, I consulted the expert when it comes to hair-off-your-face-devices: my co-worker Tina (of Trading Up Downtown and Carrots N Cake). Tina suggested that I try Bic-Bands. “They do not slip!” she promised. I know that Tina’s road-tested everything, so I tried them out. Tina, of course, was right! Bic Bands rock! They have velvet on the inside so they don’t slip. I’m now a Bic Bands addict. Not only do I wear them when I want all the hair off my face (for a run, for spin class, working out with my gymgirlfriends, when my husband and I are doing Supreme 90), but also when I just want some of my hair off my face (like for ballet class).
Here’s my bic-band hair-do for ballet class. No time to change before coloring the Easter Eggs!
There are skinny bicbands, thick bicbands, bicbands in all different patterns. I want one for every bathing suit I own for the pool! Love them! And I feel like I get a better workout when I’m not fussing with my hair.
Question of the Day
What are some of your favorite fitness things?
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Fitness Friday
Tags: Bicbands, Fitness Friday, Spin, spinning shoes
