Look what ripened while we were away!!! This is probably the only thing in the garden that will come up thanks to overgrown weeds and hungry deer.
I went to the gym around 11:30 this morning and planned a grocery store trip on my way home. That blended breakfast kept me full until 2PM! And I wasn’t even terribly hungry by the time lunch was ready. It’s a winner!
At the Y I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and the C + K 10 Minute Challenge. I never take any valuables to the gym, but since I had my grocery trip in the mix, I had my iPhone with me and realized I could finally photograph the gym!! I may not care one bit when people see me photograph food, but this was embarrassing 😳
Panoramic from the elliptical:
It’s just a cruddy old Y with nice equipment. I think the second biggest Y in the country, actually!
I came home with $23.60 in groceries – we’re up in the $80s for the month. Mostly produce and a package of Smart Chicken tenders.
We grilled up a ton of veggies + the chicken to spread through the week and for dinner tonight:
=
Which was really just a means to serve these:
Jalapeno corn bread toasted croutons fresh from Great Harvest
My salad was a mix of everything. I got this beautiful head of endive for just $1.99 –
After tossing it in some RoseBerry dressing, I added on:
- Carrots
- Zucchini + squash
- Asparagus
- 1 chopped chicken tender
- 2 slices watermelon
- Handful blueberries
- 1 tbsp dried raspberries
- 1 tbsp slivered almonds
- The best croutons ever
Too filling!
***
HUGE ANNOUCEMENT: For the first time in a MONTH the Eye-Fi wireless network configuration worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO glad it’s back.
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Danica needs your help to win this fruity contest: Who Makes the Best Summer Dessert?
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A reader shared this cool site where you can swap books, DVDs, music and more with free shipping: SwapTree.
***
Off to do things, then to some special entertainment tonight!!
Mel @ She Runs Brooklyn says
Awesome site!
Also check out the www.Craigslist.org free section. Sometimes there’s good stuff! My roommates and I got a coffee table and chair from people moving who didn’t want to bother.
katherine (the runner wife) says
All your grilled veggies look amazing!!
Shannon (The Daily Balance) says
SALAD looks fantastic!
Quick question: To keep your grilled veggies fresh for use throughout the week… Do you simply store in the fridge? or do you freeze?
Megan (The Runner's Kitchen) says
I love croutons – I think they “make” a salad. www.FreeCycle.org is another cool place to pick up freebies!
Eve says
That salad looks delicious! And it’s a winning combo of fiber, protein and healthy fats!
Jenn (www.j3nn.net) says
Colorful salad!
Jenn
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
i love swaptree!!! i’m all about the swap.
MarathonVal says
That”s so smart to grill up a ton of veggies at the beginning of the week! We always grill at the end of the week with whatever is leftover haha, but I think your method works better!
Sandhiya says
Kath – I have always been reading that croutons are a big no..no in a salad..is it alright to toss them?
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini) says
Love the home-grown tomatoes! And especially love the abundance of grilled veggies. SOOOOOooooo delicious. Lunch loooks like my kind of meal =)
Have a great rest of the day!
Whitney says
All that grilling was a fantastic idea! The asparagus looks fab!
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
What a variety of veggies you’ve got on the grill!
Hallie (Healthy Twists) says
Fresh croutons are amazing! My ex-bf’s dad was a chef and he used to make Cesar salad with the dressings and croutons from scratch…6 years later and I can still taste it 😉
Christie @ Quit Your Diet says
I am so jealous that you have tomatoes in!! I don’t have any that are ripe yet.
Brooke says
Hi,
I love all the things you come up with to throw in salads. Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy a variety of foods bursting with flavor. I have a sweet tooth so adding fruit to savory courses is perfect.
I had a question. Would you buy the Amazing grass meal powder or bars again? I was thinking of trying it but they are expensive and wonder if it is worth the expense for someone who is getting all the fruits and veggies recommended in a day. What is your take on there product for nutrition and taste.
B
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats says
Yay for tomatoes! I’m waiting for mine to ripen – they’re still green little blubs 🙂 Ugh that salad looks incredible – what a great lunch!!
AmandaD says
Special entertainment?….lightening bolts?…I have a feeling that you are going to see Harry Potter tonight??!! I’m a huge fan of the books and we saw it on Sunday!
Cait (Cait's Plate) says
oh my gosh – i want to eat everything on your grill!!!
Mandy A says
i’m new to blogging, so taking pictures of anything right now is embarrassing! 🙂
I wish my body didn’t seem so meat-based… I don’t do very well on just raw veggies, fruit, tofu… they upset my tummy… it would save me a TON in groceries! My biggest challenge!
Kathy (Moving beyond perfection) says
That salad looks so fresh, summery, and delicious! I love how colorful it is 🙂
Danica says
I LOVE how you grilled up everything in advance to use in different ways this week – that is a fantastic idea!
I want your salad for lunch now with THOSE croutons!
Thanks for the Vote for Me Shoutout for my Nectarine Raspberry Sorbert over Fresh Fruit…..I need to keep my votes coming through tomorrow to win! 🙂
Grace says
Thanks for the pictures of your gym! For whatever reason, I really love to see the places where other people work out… but people are always too embarrassed to do it, I guess. TV’s that are eye-level at the elliptical! What a novelty.
Love your blog, btw. 🙂 So much yummy healthy food porn!
And thanks for sharing the SwapTree link. That reminds me of another website I used to love pre-Dot Com bust, years ago.
Michelle Hisae says
I used to belong to a Y. The huge benefit of it was that it had a pool, unlike most gyms around us. But there were more kids and seniors there than anything, haha! Your dressing sounds great…must give it a try.
Pam says
Looks all so good!
www.alovefornewrecipes.blogspot.com
Ada says
I’m so jealous that you have a grill! I wish I could squeeze a grill into my cramped NYC apartment haha;)
K says
I thought your croutons were tofu at first! Haha!! They still sound delicious!
You’ve got nice equipment at your gym!
Andee (Runtolive) says
It amazes me how you are able to spend so little at the grocery store, yet come back with so much fresh produce. I just came back with a $50 bill and it’s only groceries for me and my boyfriend!
Kath says
Shannon (The Daily Balance),
I store them in the fridge.
Sandhiya ,
Maybe refined croutons from a box wouldn’t add much nutrition to a salad, but there’s nothing wrong with toasted whole grain bread!
Brooke ,
No, I wouldn’t buy them. I think they have a placebo effect at best, and if you’re getting lots of fruits and veggies anyways, they probably aren’t worth the cost.
Kath
Dawn says
Wow! My gym definitely needs an upgrade on their machines!
Allison says
I seriously don’t know how you do it – in the $80s for the month on groceries!! We (granted we are 2 adults and 3 kids) spend at least $175 a week on groceries and I don’t feel like we buy a bunch of junk we don’t need. If anything, I probably get too much “healthy” food which is why I spend so much.
I am in awe of your grocery prowess.
Jessica says
yum those eggplant slices grilled look tasty as does the other grilled stuff 🙂
those crutons also look to die for! yummy looking salad.
-muffy
Kristen says
Those croutons must be heavenly! Can’t wait to grill the corn my husband picked up at the farmers market! Maybe we’ll attempt a spread like yours! Yum!
Adi (oatonomy.com) says
TVs attached to cardio machines is brilliant. I don’ tknow how many times I’ve almost run off the side of a treadmill (and by run, I mean fell) because I’ve been looking on an angle towards a TV!
Rebeca says
At least on the iPhone you could be all secret agent with the pics lol
OMG thanks for the SwapTree link!!
Meredith (Pursuing Balance) says
Yay for tomatoes and a working eye-fi!
chara says
Wait…did you say you’re taking the rest of the week off to recharge after your vacation to Boston, so you can ready for your next vacation in a few days? That’s hilarious!
FitFoodie says
Those ellipticals look nice! Love the individual tvs.
The salad looks SO good. Plus it’s so colorful 🙂
The Duo Dishes says
All the grilled veggies look super fresh and tasty.
Spotty Prep says
The vegetables look so fantastic! Hope you’re having a great time tonight!
Susan says
I’m jealous of the machines at your gym! My gym has three lousy TVs on the other side of the room that they keep on mute. I can’t see them anyways because I don’t wear my glasses when I workout. Did you get any dirty looks from people who didn’t want to be photographed sweaty? 😛
Ruth says
Oh MY! Your ellipticals are heaven on earth… they have TVs connected to them. I’m so jealous. I need to get a gym membership to your gym!
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
Wow, your Y definitely has some great equipment! I’m really impressed by the number of machines they have!
LOVING those grilled veggies. Perfect summer food! 🙂
meg says
Loving all the veggies!
AnnQ says
The veggies look AWESOME! And I love the blueberries in your salad! 🙂
Erika says
That salad is gorgeous! And grilling the veggies in advance is genius!
Mara @ What's for Dinner? says
HOORAY for Eye-Fi!!! I’ve been debating getting one…
Erin says
I will be making croutons tomorrow night. I adore homemade ones.
I think you are the one person I know that loves salad as much as I do. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the movie!
Clare says
The biggest Y in the country is West Side, the one I work at in NYC! Whoo!! Tell Kate I say hi, I went to high school with her. Realized that when her husband did a guest post on your blog. Crazy world!
Caroline says
Yet another truly breathtaking salad!
I’m in the market for a salad spinner–can you recommend a good one?
Sabina says
The salad looks positively stunning! I love the colour combination (the blue in the blueberries really does it for me!).
britt says
that salad looks wonderful, especially the croutons!