The End Of Summer Is Near

The end of summer is near and I am sure that all of you have the same thought as I do once the weather begins to turn chilly and autumn is fast approaching… please don’t let me gain winter weight this year! 

Don’t pretend that you have no idea what I’m talking about.  It is so easy to let an extra few pounds creep on once you’ve packed away your bathing suits and start bundling yourself in comfy sweaters and coats.  However, this year will be different (for me at least).  It might have something to do with a bridesmaid dress that I bought over the summer but need to wear at the end of October or it could be the great skinny jeans that I like tucking into boots…but either way I will not pack on the pounds this year!

One of my favorite summer recipes that will help me stay thin and happy through the cold weather months is my Summer Quinoa Salad.

SUMMER QUINOA SALAD

1 cup quinoa, uncooked, rinsed and drained

2 cups water

1 red bell pepper, medium, diced

½ red onion, diced

½ cup snow peas, diced

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 tsp olive oil

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine quinoa and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed.

2.    Remove from stove and allow quinoa to cool for 15 minutes. 

3.    Add feta, peppers, red onion, and snow peas to quinoa. (sometimes I throw in 1/2 cup of corn during the winter to make this recipe even more summer-y!)

4.    In a separate bowl combine olive oil, orange juice, and vinegar.  Pour over quinoa and mix.

5.    Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes approximately 6 1-cup portions.  May be served hot or cold. 

I LOVE this recipe because the quinoa satisfies my love of carbs but has more protein than rice or pasta (but is just as cheap!).  The vegetables are crunchy and bright and the orange juice and vinegar keep everything tangy.  Just a little bit of feta cheese adds a nice salty finish without adding too many extra calories.

This recipe is wallet and waist friendly and will definitely keep you in a summer state of mind all year long!

Sugar High

I have always had a huge sweet tooth and candy is my number one way to get a good sugar high.  While growing up in South Florida my favorite candy store was a place near the Ft. Lauderdale Airport called Jaxson’s.  Jaxson’s is an old-fashioned ice cream parlor with outrageous homemade sundaes and a candy store that could make a fat kid cry (and I'm sure I did once or twice).  I remember my brother and I spending all of our allowance money on War Heads, Cry Baby Tears, Now and Laters…you name it and they had it. But, the best thing about Jackson's was that everything was sold for merely pennies which meant my brother and I got a long of bang for our buck!  

 (photos courtesy of Jaxson's, www.jaxsonsicecream.com)

Even as a kid I was in search of cheap eats.

When I moved to NY I discovered Dylan’s Candy Bar and although Dylan’s also has every candy imaginable it is certainly not the place to go on a budget, if you know what I mean…

Last weekend a couple of girlfriends and I decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge for brunch and then walk back across.  Now, I don’t really enjoy exercise but I figured that the walk across the bridge and back would burn enough calories to allow myself an extra treat for the day. 
  

We stopped for brunch (at a restaurant that isn’t even worth mentioning) and after brunch we walked around to check out some of the cute little shops in DUMBO.  It was then that I discovered DEWEY’S CANDY!!!

Dewey’s is everything that I want in a candy store.  The bright colors caught my eye immediately and once I was inside I realized that they have every candy on the face of the planet.  (YES! They even have Cry Baby Tears!!!).  I chatted with Dewey, the owner, and she was so warm and friendly that she made me want to buy everything in sight, which can be quite dangerous.  After about 15 minutes of giddiness I walked up to the register with my selection of loose candy (Swedish fish, gummy bears, sour patch watermelons, jelly beans, chocolate covered pretzels, etc), a box of Cry Baby Tears, 5 pomegranate flavored Tootsie Pops (which are very rare and hard to find), a few War Heads, some Now and Laters, and a fear that my total would come to $100.
   

To my surprise everything was around $8 and I walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge with a huge smile across my face, liquorice hanging out of my mouth, and the knowledge that I was working off the candy calories while I ate them!