Burn a little, eat a little!
Our bike ride over here was a bit strenuous, as we took a detour so we could put a blanket down for the symphony tonight. But we made it! Once we were at Karen’s, Matt wanted to go for a run around her neighborhood. I had planned to do the elliptical, but a run sounded good so I agreed to a short one. 3 miles later, we were back inside and spent about 15 minutes chatting and weight lifting before I declared it was time for lunch! We’ve still got a bike ride home too – and perhaps some pool splashing.
Karen put together today’s spread of salads
A chicken penne pasta salad with toasted walnuts, parmesan cheese, kalamata olives, grape tomatoes and cilantro pesto. (There’s no specific recipe for this – she just put things together)
A tiny bean salad She bought these beans at the farmer’s market so we don’t know what kind they are and she cooked them only until they were still slightly crunchy) mixed with bell peppers, chopped fresh spinach, basil, goat cheese, whole almonds, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper – all to taste.
And a 100% cantaloupe fruit salad 🙂
My plate (x2 – I had about 50% more of each salad)
Crackers with Laughing Cow
With Red Zinger Iced Tea
Company
I’m off to do some writing (which I wish I’d gotten done this morning so I could read a book now!) and I might get in the water in a bit.
Chao!
april says
That bean salad looks really good! I bet you could re-create it!
Brooke P says
They look a bit like aduki beans which are delicious. Love all the detail you put into your blog these days.
B
Faith says
The pasta salad sounds like a great combo of flavors!
Laine says
Is Karen Matt’s mom? I’m always confused by this.
And yeah, those are adzuki beans.
Moran (The Running Addict) says
Oh what a beautiful day!
The salads look great!
loreejo says
I love your blog! Peeking at your lifestyle is helping encourage me to make positive changes to mine. Hope you keep blogging!
Lynette says
That chicken penne pasta salad looks out of this world. Your lunch looks so inviting and colorful. My kind of comfort food!
Deva says
The penne salad looks fantastic, and I am envious of the cantaloupe!
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
Those salads look so wonderful! What a fun way to have a summery lunch! Good luck on the writing. 🙂
Mom says
Yep, Karen is Matt’s mom. (I’m the other mom!)
Meredith (Pursuing Balance) says
great salad spread!
K says
Wow! You guys have been busy today!! What a lovely lunch spread 🙂
Emily says
I’m with Lynette (MY mom lol), that chicken penne pasta does look quite fantastic!!! As a kid I used to hate those types of salads, but now I love them so much and my eyes are usually hungry than my belly and portion control can be very difficult!!
Molly says
Love your blog – it’s a great source of healthy inspiration. Just went grocery shopping and added some new items to my cart 0 MaraNatha almond butter and wheatberries. I’m going to try to recreate some of your yummy looking dishes!! looking forward to tomorrow’s oatmeal!!
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) says
Everything looks great!
Good luck with your writing!
Oh She Glows says
Oh wow does that cantaloupe ever look juicy!!! Mouth watering…
Brooke says
I’ve been reading your blog for a while and I still can’t figure out who Karen is. I thought she was Matt’s mom, but I am wrong. I swear I have tried to find the answer myself 🙂
Shannon, The Healthy Beach Bum says
what a pretty salad feast. That penne has got me craving some pasta right now!
Kathleen says
Hi Kath!
I made the maple salmon for dinner and it was delicious! I made extra sauce and used it as a glaze for baked sweet potato fries (mixed in a half teaspoon of EVOO too), and also used some sauce on a stir fry of broccoli, shredded carrots, water cress, and baby carrots. I marinated my husband’s chicken in the same sauce as well. I really really enjoyed the meal tonight! Thanks so much for the recipe and inspiration.
Kathleen
Sarah (Tales of Expansion) says
you’re so good at packing nonstop (and fun) action into your days! that salad spread looks tasty, esp karen’s pasta pesto, YUM. enjoy the water action if you get to it 🙂
Stacey says
Mmmm…laughing cow is my fav cheese spread! It’s so rich and creamy, perfect for sandwiches or crackers! Enjoy writing and lounging by the pool 🙂
Melissa @ For the Love of Health says
That looks like a perfect lunch to me!
Help Meghan Run says
Mmm…I am currently in love with beans. I like mashing them up with something and eating them on little buns. Or your black bean burgers!
HelpMeghanRun.com
ModelBehavior says
She sure is creative, if I threw things together like that it probably wouldn’t turn out. Everything looks great!
Danielle says
What a lunch! Best of luck writing 🙂
Megan (The Runner's Kitchen) says
Pesto pasta salad (or anything with pesto!) is the best. I like to make my pesto with almonds and arugula – gives it a nice kick 🙂
Run Sarah says
What a perfect picnic spread! Pesto pasta salad sounds great 🙂
Holly says
Those salads look divine – I LOVE cilantro pesto!
Amy says
Hi Brooke,
Kath’s mom mentioned above in the comments that Karen is Matt’s mom. I know I’m not Kath but I hope this helps!
Jodee says
The pasta salad looks so delicious.
Kath says
Re. Karen,
Yes, she is Matt’s mom and she lives 5 miles from us. She’s cool!
Molly ,
Awesome! Delish!
Kathleen ,
So glad to hear it!
Amy,
Thanks 🙂
Kath
stephanie says
This is perhaps a dumb question…but it seems like you ride your bike to a lot of places where it wouldn’t necessarily be “cool” to have helmet hair. How do you keep your hair looking nice when you ride your bike to the grocery store, shopping, etc. – especially in the heat?
Hil says
That bean salad looks beautiful. I made a very similar salad with black beans, and its one of my favorite things to eat during the summer.
Kath says
stephanie ,
Haha – yes, sometimes helmet hair sucks, but luckily my helmet is pretty good about it. Sometimes Matt wants to bike to go out to dinner and I don’t want to be sweaty and have to mess up my hair, so we drive.
Kath
Anne K. says
What a delicious meal! The bean salad looks so yummy. I love how you opt to ride your bike instead of driving a lot of places. It’s environmentally friendly, and a great way to get in some activity! So cool 😀