Drift 9 / Belize

My attempt at the crop top.  Fringe and crop tops were the hottest trends I saw in Miami last week.  Try it, I dare you! 

Welcome to Miami

The trip is finally here!  I've been following this for 2 weeks and feel amazing!  You can follow our Miami adventures on instagram @marissacasellini

Off to the Perry Hotel for the Rx pool party!

Borelli loves Tone It Up

This summer Borelli partnered with Tone It Up for their Bikini Challenge.  Interested in shaping up for summer?  Visit their website for workouts, nutrition plans and beach babe beauty tips.  And thank you again Tone It Up for showing Borelli some love!

Nopales, Quinoa, Avocado Salad

I first saw nopales at the grocery store in San Diego.  TDH and I had no idea what they were but we were just dating back then and he was willing to try anything!  For the next few days I added them to our salads or stir frys while teaching him and his roommate how to cook.  I was unaware of their nutrition benefits until a few years later when I read The Jungle Effect by Dr. Daphne Miller.  Nopales are full of dietary fiber, vitamins, magnesium, potassium and calcium.  Dr. Daphne "prescribes" nopales to her diabetic patients because studies show they affect the glycemic index.  Plus, they are crunchy and tangy!

Last week I mixed them with quinoa, ripe avocado, green onions (my kitchen staple), cucumbers and jicama.  All of these ingredients can easily be found at the farmers market right now.  We actually picked up the nopales at a road side stand in Fallbrook while en route to pick up our new chickens.

Ingredients
nopales, chopped
jicama, chopped
green onions, chopped
cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 c quinoa, cooked
lime
lemon
cumin
olive oil
maldon salt
pepper

To Do
1.  Mix all chopped vegetables, cilantro and quinoa.
2.  Squeeze half a lemon and half a lime over the salad mixture.
3.  Drizzle olive oil.
4.  Top with a few shakes of cumin and pepper and a dash of maldon salt. 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Vegan

START FRESH + FINISH HEALTHY

Fresh Ink in Competitor Magazine

Thank you Competitor Magazine for featuring my Almond & Quinoa Bliss Bars in your May issue.  I was honored to share pages with Cafe McClean out of Salt Lake City and No Meat Athlete from Maryland.  Make your own Bliss Bars at home with a few simple ingredients.  I always have a stash in the freezer for lazy mornings or training days.  Recipe here.

 

Dish - Fennel Summer Salad

 START FRESH + FINISH HEALTHY

Dish - Fruit is Fast Food

Spotted this on Facebook and had to share.  Taken somewhere in Ontario. 

Dish - DIY Sprouts

I started sprouting last month and found it relatively easy so I thought I would share how you can make your own sprouts.

What is Sprouting?
- Trick your dried beans or seeds into sprouting without planting them in dirt.  
- Grow your own food, on your counter top or in a dark enclosed space.

Why Sprouting is Awesome?
- Cheap!!!  Buying dried beans is cheaper than in the can or pre-made.  TDH and I's biggest expense other than rent is groceries.  I'm constantly looking to cut costs without effecting flavor or our well-being.
- Healthy.  (Almost) anything that comes in a can or container is filled with salt and preservatives.  Why work out everyday if you are just going to put those toxins right back in with a pre-made meal?
- Easy.  No need to warm up the oven or stove.
- Texture.  I LOVE crunchy foods and now that I cut back on chips and crackers I miss the sensation of chomping on something light.  Sprouted beans are still a bit hard and give my teeth the crunch they crave.

cover with cheesecloth

You will find a few videos on Sprouting but this by far is my favorite.  The couple is hilarious!  

screw on the top

What you'll need
- Mason jar or similar with a 2 part lid (you won't need the center middle top, just the outer rim)
- Cheese cloth or thin screen
- Dried chickpeas, lentils, seeds, etc
- Water
- Patience

To Do List
- Rinse your beans, seeds or lentils
- Toss in the jar, fill with water 3-4" above the beans
- Cover with cheesecloth or screen and screw on the outer rim top to seal
- Soak overnight, drain and rinse again
- Rinse 2-3 times a day, keeping them moist but not soggy (leave the jar on the counter top if you are forgetful like me, I needed the constant reminder)
- After 2-3 days your sprouts are ready to go
- Add to salads, oatmeal or brown rice or try adding to these 2goplease recipes:
Bell Pepper Boats   /   Avo Kale Sprout Salad   /   LGO Brussel Sprout Salad (just add em' in)

2 days later!

funny looking right?

START FRESH + FINISH HEALTHY

Beet + Pineapple Salad

TDH and I are making this salad for dinner tonight.  I made it last week and he can't stop raving about it.  Plus, tonight is Monday Night Dinner with our good friends in La Jolla.  It's turned into a weekly tradition where we switch off making dinner for each other.  I can't tell you how much I look forward to every other week's night off from cooking and doing the dishes.  (We don't have a dishwasher!)  To round out the meal we are adding a homemade quiche with fresh backyard eggs and blanched asparagus.  The Lemon and Thyme Scones I posted a few weeks ago would pair well too. What did you make the last time you had breakfast for dinner?

Beet + Pineapple Salad (gluten free, vegan, nut free)

Ingredients
3 medium size beets (the more colorful the better)
extra virgin olive oil

1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh if possible
2 cups lettuce greens
3 green onions

salt
pepper
1 lemon juiced
first cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil


To-Do
- Preheat oven/toaster oven to 400* F.
- Rinse beets, no need to peel or cut them unless they are large.  
- Toss beets in olive oil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour turning every 15 minutes. 
- While the beets are roasting cut the pineapple into bite size chunks. 
- Chop green onions, white and green parts.  
- Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper for the dressing.
- Cool beets for 10 minutes or longer if you have the time.  If not, throw on some gloves to peel off the outer skin.  Chop into bit size pieces. 
- Add all ingredients, mix and serve.



 

Video Friday - Laughs

While traveling Belize this month I met the talented Daniel Mercadante.  He mentioned his video on laughing and I was instantly intrigued.  Hope you have lots of laughs this weekend.

 Check out more of Daniel and Everynone's films here. 

Dig - DIY Bathtub Garden

Our rental in La Jolla came with a giant bathtub that was so unsteady we had to sign off in the lease we wouldn't sue in case it caused any bodily harm.  So after months of it sitting in the corner of our shower (our shower is larger than most NYC apartments) I asked the boys to move it outside.  I had been itching to plant carrots but they need a deep container.  The dogs and chickens eat anything we plant in the ground so a raised bathtub bed was the perfect solution! 

What you will need
- An old bathtub or large deep container.
- Good dirt, go for the organic stuff at your local nursery.  (Remember, you will be eating all this goodness and you wouldn't want to ruin it with cheap soil.)
- Compost from your kitchen and/or neighborhood chickens.
- Seeds.  Think about what you love to eat.  (I planted carrots, 2 types of kale and broccoli.  We feed the dogs carrots and I could eat kale 3 meals a day.)
- Gloves.
- Something to mix the dirt with, a shovel, stick or just your hands if you don't mind dirt under the fingernails.

Fresh picked kale from the bathtub

To do
1.  Find some large rocks or bricks for the bottom to ensure good drainage.

2.  Add a layer of dirt.

3.  Add a layer of chicken manure compost and/or store bought compost. 
4.  Mix it all together.

5.  Add another layer of dirt.
6.  Fill up your container a few inches from the top because the dirt will compress and sink in over the next week.
7.  Using a shovel or your hand create rows for your seeds.  Read the packaging labels for directions on spacing and planting seed depth.
8.  Add the seeds.  Cover with soil and water gently.
9.  Continue to water gently for the first few weeks.  Once the plants are set feel free to use the hose or your leftover pasta water (after it's cooled :).

age: 3 weeks

age: 5 weeks

age: 3 months

Have you planted in any crazy containers?  I would love to hear some ideas.  PS - My favorite seed catalog at the moment is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Lemon Thyme Whole Wheat Scones

I love scones, well all pastries for that matter.  My sister and I devoured the whole grain, buttery and flaky scones in Ireland daily last year.  But scones in the U.S. are typically super sweet and made with white bleached flour.  That is not the best way to start off a work day.
So, to satisfy my Irish pastry desires I set out to make a healthy scone.  I knew the base was going to be whole wheat pastry flour.  Do you use it yet?  It's amazing and can be used in breads, pizza dough, cookies, etc.  Go splurge on some right now or order my favorite online.
Now, what to put in the scone?
- I added toasted walnuts and almonds for a little crunch and texture. (I like textures, in my food, on my clothes, on art, anything really unless it's chocolate mousse.  Dark chocolate mousse should be smooth as silk!)
- TDH loves lemon, I mean, really loves lemon.  I experimented with the juice of two lemons and it gave the scones a bit of a kick at the end.
- Last but not least I added my favorite ingredient of Spring, fresh thyme.  My little thyme plant I bought at Sprouts was well worth the $2.50 investment, plus it looks pretty on the porch.

Alright, here's the recipe friends.  Feel free to swap out the nuts for a dried fruit or flax seeds or use a mix of flours.

Lemon Thyme Whole Wheat Scones

Ingredients
1/4 c agave
7 tablespoons milk or cream

2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c toasted, chopped nuts
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 lemons, juiced

1 egg, whisked

- Preheat the oven to 400F degrees, rack in the top 1/3.
- Toast nuts in a oven or toaster oven (another kitchen essential you should invest in) for 5-8 minutes until fragrant.  Cool and chop.
- Mix agave and cream together in a small bowl.
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt, thyme and nuts together in a bowl.  Using a pastry blender, fork or your hands cut the cold butter into the flour mixture.  Mix together until the butter is the size of peas.
- Add the milk/cream mixture and lemon juice.  Mix with a wooden spatula until the dough just comes together - don't over mix.
- Flour your cutting board or countertop and kneed the dough once or twice.  Shape into a rectangle or square if you prefer square scones or into a circle and cut pieces into mini pie slices.  Cut the pieces on the smaller side.
- Line two pans with parchment paper.  Place scones on pans with 1/4-inch distance between each of them.
- Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl.  Brush each scone generously with the egg wash.  (You can skip this step if you are pressed for time but it does give the scones a shiny top.) 
- Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until golden along the bottom and tops.

Makes 20 scones.