A Cooling Summer Soup

Broccili SoupI’ve been eating a lot of blended foods over the past few months – things like smoothies, soups and purees.

At the same time, I’ve cut waaay back on raw foods and salads, unless they are blended into said smoothies or soups.

Why?

This little foray into an alternate way of eating has been in the interest of my own health issues, and also on the advice of my nutritionist.

Yes, I do work with a nutritionist.

The way I see it, it isn’t any different from working with a coach. In both cases, their job is to help keep you on track, and offer plenty of support along the way.

Just knowing you have someone on your side can make a huge difference to your success!

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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!

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A Tribute To Blueberries

A few days ago, I shared this picture on Facebook.

A number of people wanted to know “What is that?!”

And “Can I have the recipe?”

Well, “that” my friends, is my favorite summertime Blueberry Tart, and yes – I’m here to share the recipe!

By the way, if you’ve landed on this page, you’ve probably noticed that I like blueberries.

And as summer winds to an end, I realized with a shock that our weekly supply of locally grown, organic blueberries is also coming to an end.

Yes, we’ve been making regular trips to the Farmer’s Market this summer, especially while fresh berries have been in season.

And indulging in lots of them!

Strawberries, raspberries, and – of course – blueberries.

Blueberries are SO good for you!

Not only are they full of antioxidants, they are said to aid in memory function and reduce the effects of aging.

Works for me!

(Did you know that any deeply colored fruits and vegetables are really good for you? It’s Nature’s way of telling us.)

In the off season, you could easily resort to frozen blueberries.

Maybe you’ve even planned ahead, and bought extra flats to freeze some of your own.

If so, I take my hat off to you!

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Summer Tabbouli Salad

Last week, I wrote about some of the pitfalls associated with gluten-free travel and dining in restaurants.

And I wanted to address the flip side – which is the exhilaration one feels when you discover a restaurant that fully understands & caters to the gluten-free diet.

About a year ago, I found one such place in my own backyard, although, it took a ferry ride to get there.

Our destination was a restaurant in the small town of Vashon – on Vashon Island – with a most unusual name:  The Hardware Store.

At the time, I knew that the Gluten-Free Girl and her husband had a close connection to this restaurant – as he happened to be the chef.

That’s how I knew that dining there would be a very positive experience!

Plus, I love going to a restaurant and having my very own, gluten-free menu – it’s so much easier than having to navigate and play detective.

Sometimes I still need to do that, but at least I know everything will be gluten-free, which instantly removes a certain level of anxiety.

On this particular outing, I ordered Fish and Chips for my lunch.

Later, I was mystified by my choice.

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