I wanted to share one of the local, organic restaurants with you. The Green Room is located in downtown Carlisle. My husband and I visited for my birthday dinner date. Unfortunately I was unable to take pictures, but theWasabi Dusted Diver Scallop Salad with Orange-Bee Pollen Viaigrette is currently shown on their homepage as one of the specials. The dressing was very light and gave a nice zing to the salad. The scallops were phenomenal and very large (but not chewy). We also ordered a local cheese plate as an appetizer that came with whole wheat pita triangles. My husband ordered a grass-fed local beef burger on a delicious looking whole wheat bun with seeds and restaurant-made potato chips.
My favorite surprise for the night though was the flowering tea. You can see a sample here. Instead of the tea seeping in a bag, the leaves are bundled into a tight bud that slowly opens as the hot water penetrates the bud in the teapot. The result is a blooming flower (although it reminded me more of a sea anemone) and is just plain fun to watch!
For desserts, they are all freshly made sorbets, ice creams and pastries. I decided to try a toasted almond sorbet which was delicious, and full of chopped almonds! My husband ordered mint chocolate chip ice cream which was just as good.
The restaurant was very full and we were glad to have made reservations ahead of time, which can be done online or by phone. The chef came and checked in with each table throughout the night as well. I definitely plan to repeat this restaurant. Next on the list to try is The Cellar in Camp Hill.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Happy Birthday to Me!
A big "Thank you!" to my friend, Susan, for providing me with a healthy, organic carrot cake recipe just in time for my birthday! I was only a week overdue in having the time to make it, but very glad I did! The new ingredients for me were coconut oil (replaces shortening) and apple juice concentrate. No sugar at all in this recipe! Well, except for the icing made w/ organic cream cheese, organic powdered sugar and some vanilla (didn't have organic on hand yet). I have to say I wasn't wowed when I tried it right after eating it, but today it was delicious- much better once it had time to get nice and cold! Definitely a recipe to repeat, although shredding the carrots is time-consuming!
Here are some pics of the finished product:
Here are some pics of the finished product:
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Beach and Planet X
Well, I just returned from a trip to Rehoboth Beach with my daughter and sister. This trip presented new challenges for me, as I wanted to maintain my all natural, organic eating as much as possible since it was still fairly new for me (and I didn't want to fall off the wagon, if you know what I mean). So, we decided we would only eat out one meal. For the others, we took Kashi cereal for breakfast. For lunch I roasted a whole all natural cage free chicken and we had chicken sandwiches with a variety of veggies, fruits, and healthy snacks. For 2 of our dinners I made and froze lasagna. These meals worked out well and we didn't seem to tire of having multiples of the same meal (even with all of the other delicious smells from various restaurants).
Thankfully, for our one meal out I was able to find The Planet X Cafe which was located just 1/2 a block from our hotel, The Atlantis Inn. As soon as we saw the outside of the restaurant, we were excited to eat there. It was in an eclectically decorated house with outdoor seating on the porch and indoor seating as well. Planet X specializes in using local, organic, and natural ingredients. The menu definitely had some unique dishes and we had a hard time deciding which ones to try! We decided to try one of each type of dish (Salads/Small Plates, Zen Bowls, Entrées) and share all three (since it was too hard to choose just one!) Here's what we ended up with:
Our last dish (although we are from all 3 at the same time) was an Entree, Jumbo Shrimp Red Thai Curry. This was very peppy, and I was glad to have 2 other dishes to work on at the same time to cool down my mouth, but again, it was of high quality!
The desserts were not on the menu and when we asked, there were 3 options: cheesecake, key lime pie or chocolate torte. If you know me, you know what I wanted- chocolate! Especially since I haven't been eating many sweets at all lately (and strangely enough, not really missing them!). This was the best dessert I have ever had in my life, and I've had some pretty good desserts! I found a few recipes online and if/when I get one to work, I will definitely post about it!
The torte is flourless with fresh whipped cream and mint. Phenomenal! And best of all, satisfying even though I only ate 1/3 of it (if even that much- my sis and daughter liked it a lot, too!).
If you ever get to Rehoboth, stopping here is a must. It is on the higher end regarding price, but you definitely get your money's worth, and don't skip dessert! (I almost never eat dessert out, but will never miss it here!)
And yes, believe it or not I was able to resist all other sweets and treats at the beach. I only took one sample bite of caramel corn and pb ice cream. To be honest, I didn't even really want it, knowing now where it comes from (and what it is doing to my body- I read Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels while there, she deserves a whole post of her own later!).
I also did not eat after 9 and tried to steer clear of carbs before bed. I also did not exercise other than walking to and from various places...and I lost 3 pounds! For a total of 9 in the last month since eating naturally. As an aside, we had our family reunion yesterday with a potluck lunch. I didn't not eat as much as I normally would have but still felt stuffed, and partly sick for the rest of the day. It is amazing how quickly my body has adjusted to eating natural, and it likes it and wants nothing else!
Thankfully, for our one meal out I was able to find The Planet X Cafe which was located just 1/2 a block from our hotel, The Atlantis Inn. As soon as we saw the outside of the restaurant, we were excited to eat there. It was in an eclectically decorated house with outdoor seating on the porch and indoor seating as well. Planet X specializes in using local, organic, and natural ingredients. The menu definitely had some unique dishes and we had a hard time deciding which ones to try! We decided to try one of each type of dish (Salads/Small Plates, Zen Bowls, Entrées) and share all three (since it was too hard to choose just one!) Here's what we ended up with:
This is a Smoked Wild Salmon Quesadilla. Absolutely delish! The feta cheese on the lettuce/chard/grape salad was the best I've ever had (and prompted me to buy some this weekend). The pink sauce on the side is chili creme fraiche (no, I don't know what that means) but it is spicy, and good! The salsa was not spicy, but again, very delicious.
We chose the Sesame Orange Beef Tips and Scallops for our Zen Bowl. Again, very good, especially the scallops!
Our last dish (although we are from all 3 at the same time) was an Entree, Jumbo Shrimp Red Thai Curry. This was very peppy, and I was glad to have 2 other dishes to work on at the same time to cool down my mouth, but again, it was of high quality!
The desserts were not on the menu and when we asked, there were 3 options: cheesecake, key lime pie or chocolate torte. If you know me, you know what I wanted- chocolate! Especially since I haven't been eating many sweets at all lately (and strangely enough, not really missing them!). This was the best dessert I have ever had in my life, and I've had some pretty good desserts! I found a few recipes online and if/when I get one to work, I will definitely post about it!
The torte is flourless with fresh whipped cream and mint. Phenomenal! And best of all, satisfying even though I only ate 1/3 of it (if even that much- my sis and daughter liked it a lot, too!).
If you ever get to Rehoboth, stopping here is a must. It is on the higher end regarding price, but you definitely get your money's worth, and don't skip dessert! (I almost never eat dessert out, but will never miss it here!)
And yes, believe it or not I was able to resist all other sweets and treats at the beach. I only took one sample bite of caramel corn and pb ice cream. To be honest, I didn't even really want it, knowing now where it comes from (and what it is doing to my body- I read Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels while there, she deserves a whole post of her own later!).
I also did not eat after 9 and tried to steer clear of carbs before bed. I also did not exercise other than walking to and from various places...and I lost 3 pounds! For a total of 9 in the last month since eating naturally. As an aside, we had our family reunion yesterday with a potluck lunch. I didn't not eat as much as I normally would have but still felt stuffed, and partly sick for the rest of the day. It is amazing how quickly my body has adjusted to eating natural, and it likes it and wants nothing else!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Red Dye Origins
Chicken, Chocolate and the Sugar Lobby
Chicken
When you purchase chicken, you trust that you are paying for the weight of the bird, but would you be surprised that you are also paying for salt water? Many companies inject saltwater into the bird to "plump" it and increase its weight. Read more here and sign a petition here. Just another reason to buy local and all natural!
Chocolate
How much is chocolate worth? If you're like me, a lot! But I have to admit I have eaten almost NO chocolate in the last 4 weeks except for some organic semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (mostly b/c I am cutting out processed sugars). Here is another reason not to. Be sure to purchase fair trade chocolate to help protect workers in other countries. Sign a petition here. Remember, if it is cheap for you to buy, someone, somewhere, is paying the price!
Sugar
The Fed Up with School Lunch Blog is one of my favorites. This post will educate you on the enormous amount of sugar in our daily foods and what the sugar lobby has done to keep us in the dark regarding amounts as well as silencing the USDA in regards to guidelines on how much sugar to eat in a day.
When you purchase chicken, you trust that you are paying for the weight of the bird, but would you be surprised that you are also paying for salt water? Many companies inject saltwater into the bird to "plump" it and increase its weight. Read more here and sign a petition here. Just another reason to buy local and all natural!
Chocolate
How much is chocolate worth? If you're like me, a lot! But I have to admit I have eaten almost NO chocolate in the last 4 weeks except for some organic semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (mostly b/c I am cutting out processed sugars). Here is another reason not to. Be sure to purchase fair trade chocolate to help protect workers in other countries. Sign a petition here. Remember, if it is cheap for you to buy, someone, somewhere, is paying the price!
Sugar
The Fed Up with School Lunch Blog is one of my favorites. This post will educate you on the enormous amount of sugar in our daily foods and what the sugar lobby has done to keep us in the dark regarding amounts as well as silencing the USDA in regards to guidelines on how much sugar to eat in a day.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Seafood Options
I have been asked about safe seafood from various people lately, and have come across this site and this one. This was an interesting article on salmon. I have grown to LOVE salmon over the last few years, especially knowing the health benefits, but now the safe options are very limited. I did find that Rt 30 Seafood does sell wild caught salmon from the northwest- the only salmon that is safe to eat. It comes frozen in vacuum sealed packs. I'm still looking for wild caught northern U.S. shrimp though. I'll keep you updated on other areas that I find it! Please share if you already know of a location!
Sneaky Semantics
Do you ever wonder what "cage-free" and "grass-fed" really mean when on your food labels? I know I do. This is a great site that breaks down the semantics. Please read carefully, as deception is key in big business getting us to purchase a product that sounds like it is from organic, natural and sustainable origins when it often is not.This is why it is key to buy local so you can talk to the farmer or merchant and find out exactly from where the product is coming.
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