A Simple Summer Tomato Salad

TomatolI was lucky enough to spend a few relaxing days at our cabin this past weekend, enjoying the gorgeous weather and some much-needed time away from our usual routine.

We read, took long walks, and played Sudoku – and also enjoyed plenty of delicious food.

For many of us, the holiday weekend marks the end of summer as we slowly segue into Fall.

But, according to my calendar, summer isn’t officially over for several weeks.

While fresh produce is still abundant at the Farmer’s Market, tomatoes are something I like to take full advantage of this time of year.

As it happened, I had a surplus of tomatoes on hand this past weekend.

I wasn’t sure what to do with them, but the rustic country setting inspired me to keep things simple.

And that’s when – seemingly out of nowhere – I was suddenly reminded of my mother’s Tomato Salad.

Not only did I grow up with this salad as a summertime staple, but it was also a personal favorite.

And yet – I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten it!

[Read more…]

My Top 3 Rules For Dining Out

Dining OutA few months ago, my husband bought a book called “Younger Next Year”.

(The title alone is intriguing).

He took it along on our vacation to Hawaii this past June, and read it cover to cover.

Chapter 3 was titled “How’s Your Wife?”

What the authors were getting at was whether or not your spouse, or significant other was also on board with any lifestyle changes you might be contemplating.

To drive home their point, they were strongly recommending that your partner in life also read the book.

So I did!

Because really, when you think about it, change is hard enough – but if we don’t have the support of our loved ones, it can be that much harder, right?

The book focused mostly on exercise and lifestyle changes, taking an extensive look at the science behind human behavior.

(The authors, Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge M.D., have also written a companion book for women – “Younger Next Year for Women” – which you can be sure is next on my list).

Of course, I especially enjoyed the chapters on food!

Even though being gluten-free wasn’t part of the conversation, it didn’t matter.

That’s because the rules sometimes apply across the board – regardless.

And when it comes to eating sensibly, well, that’s something that most of us can benefit from. In any case, their advice for dining out was spot on, which is how I came up with my own, slightly altered version:

[Read more…]