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Filtering by Tag: tomato

tomato + goat cheese tart with rosemary crust

July 22, 2011Andrea

Summer.

Tomatoes.

Summer. Tomatoes. Summer tomatoes. Summer tomatoes summer tomatoes summer tomatoes. The two words belong together, do they not?

With a high of 101° in Charlottesville today (real feel 115° to 120°...um, when did we move to the equator?!?), I am not finding a whole lot to be happy with Summer about at the moment. Except for tomatoes. We are overrun with summer's favorite fruit right now...big ones, little ones, red ones, orange ones. All picture frames and candles have been removed from my dining room sideboard to make way for our bounty from the farm. It is the official tomato storage and ripening spot in our house, a constantly revolving inventory of heirloom varieties. I've made pints of marinara to store away for winter, and have plans to can soups and salsas in the coming weeks. But still, my very favorite way to consume a perfectly ripe tomato is thickly sliced, with sea salt. It just doesn't get much better than that. Unless you sandwich one of those slices between two hunks of bread with some bacon...that's pretty darn good too.

Most of our meals this week involved, you guessed it, tomatoes. In sauce over pasta, in salsa on fish tacos, sliced with fresh mozzarella on pizza, the 'T' in our BLTs. And this lovely, simple, rustic tart. It breaks my 'don't turn on the oven' rule, but at least it isn't the stove top.

First, I have to say again how much I love Jack Bishop's book, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I have shared several recipes from there, here, and cannot praise it enough. We have been thrilled with every single dish we've made between its covers, and love how simple and quick they always are. This tart is no exception. The crust dough comes together beautifully and is so easy to work. The filling ingredients are simple. The whole tart is finished with just 15 minutes of prep time, which I love. If the crust weren't so butter-full we'd have this meal multiple days each week.

Be sure to only make this tart when tomatoes are at their peak...a pink and grainy 'mater just wouldn't do...

Tomato + Goat Cheese Tart with Rosemary Crust
from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, by Jack Bishop
Crust Ingredients
1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
8 tbsp (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
4-5 tbsp ice water
Tart Filling
6 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1-1/3 cups)
3 medium, delicious tomatoes, cored, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick, and blotted dry between paper towels*
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt + freshly ground black pepper
Method
First, make the crust dough (about 1 hour before you're ready to assemble the tart). Place the flour, salt, and rosemary in a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Add the water, 1 tbsp at a time, and pulse briefly after each addition. After 4 tbsp of water have been added, process the dough for several seconds to see if it will come together. If not, add the remaining 1 tbsp water. Process just until the dough comes together in a rough ball. Do not overprocess or the dough will not be flakey. Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured work surface and knead briefly to for a smooth ball. Flatten the dough into a 5-inch disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Note: My dough was very sticky with just 4 tbsp of water, so I wound up adding some flour to help it to come together. The final dough should be smooth and supple before refrigerating. Also, if you don't have a food processor, you can still make the dough by using forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture, then add your water.
Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 375°.
Unwrap the chilled dough and roll it into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Lay the dough over a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, fitting the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. Run the rolling pin over the top of the tart pan to trim the excess dough. Prick the bottom of the tart shell all over with a fork.
Finally, fill and bake the tart. Scatter the goat cheese evenly across the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in two rings, one around the outside edge of the tart pan and another in the center, overlapping them slightly. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake until the edges of the crust pull away from the sides of the pan and are golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool the tart on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Cut the tart into wedges and serve. Also, it is really good at room temperature so feel free to make this ahead and let it cool for several hours.
* To dry tomatoes, lay 3 layers of paper towels on a flat surface. Place your tomato slices on the paper towels, and then cover with 3 more layers of towels. Gently press your hands over the tomatoes to extract as much liquid as you can without crushing the tomatoes. When you lift the slices from the towels, many of the seeds should stay behind. This will keep your tart crust from becoming soggy.

categories pie, simple, vegetarian, dinner
tags butter crust, chevre, flakey crust, goat cheese, pastry crust, rosemary, summer, tart, tomato

rat-a-tat

September 25, 2009Andrea

rat-a-tat-toooooouuuuuille! Ok, so the name is sometimes more fun than the dish itself. Ratatouille evokes all kinds of call-outs and tabletop drumming from me, in an effort to convince Brian of its viability as a recipe to remain in our files. It starts one Saturday morning at the farmer’s market, as we pass a table full of deep-purple eggplant and I turn to Brian to ask “how about ratatouille this week?”. He’ll snarl a little, let out an “eh” and shrug his shoulders. This happens for a few consecutive Saturdays, until finally I’ll say, “come on...rat-a-tat-toooooouuuuuille!” and he’ll grin and agree that this can be the week for our once-a-year ratatouille night.

For me, it wouldn’t be the end of summer without the classic eggplant, zucchini and tomato-laden dish. It feels like a last-hurrah for the final produce of the season and the perfect start to autumn, when I start craving meals of its kind. It is homey and hearty, a melding of flavors served warm over pasta and topped with shaved parmesan cheese. I like to dunk a couple of thick slices of crusty french bread into the juices, and usually pair the meal with one of my first glasses of red wine of the season. Its tradition, and one that I cling to mightily despite a little resistance. Ratatouille-2

For Brian, ratatouille is just a little “blah”. He doesn’t mind it so much, but would prefer that we skip straight from summer salads to creamy potato cheese soup and pans full of bubbly lasagna. Typically, after we’ve purchased our eggplant Saturday morning, it will sit on the countertop for a couple of days until finally, on the cusp of its transition from firm and fleshy to soft and dimpled, I’ll convince Brian that “tonight is rat-a-tat-touille night!” and it will be peeled, cubed, salted and tossed in a pan with a glug of olive oil, freshly diced zucchini and a generous pile of minced garlic. Ratatouille-3

After some silly names, a few tabletop drumming performances and maybe a little ratatouille dance, it is the smell that will finally bring Brian around - his nose leads him to the kitchen and he’ll sheepishly tell me “it smells really good in here, honey”. The eggplant is set aside, and in its place onion and bell pepper start sizzling away. Tomatoes are added, and as their juice is released the eggplant is tossed back into the pan. All is covered and simmered until the eggplant is silky and the zucchini and peppers are just tender. Pasta is boiled, parmesan is shaved and bread is sliced. Dinner is served alongside glasses of red wine, in the golden light of the fading sun and suddenly, it is Fall. Ratatouille-4

Basic Ratatouille adapted from the joy of cooking over pasta, this will serve 4 Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
4-5 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 large bell peppers, red, yellow or orange, cut into 1-inch squares
1-1/2 cups chopped and seeded fresh tomatoes (I used romas. the recipe says to peel them, I did not.)
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme (oregano is good as well)
2 bay leaves
salt + pepper

Method:

After peeling and chopping your eggplant, place it in a colander and sprinkle with course sea salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to release some of the liquid, rinse well and pat dry.
Heat the oil over high heat and add the eggplant and zucchini. Saute' for about 8 minutes, then add the garlic. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the veggies are golden and just tender. (This timing will depend on the freshness of your eggplant. You don't want it to get too soft, so watch closely.)
Remove the vegetables from the pan and reduce the heat to medium-high. Drizzle in the 2 tbsp of olive oil and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies are just tender but not browned. Season with salt and pepper to tasted.
Add tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant mixture and cook until everything is tender 10-20 minutes. (Again, this depends on your veggies. You want the eggplant to be silky but not falling apart, and the other veggies to be tender but not mushy.) Taste and adjust your seasonings.

* We decided after this go-round that the ratatouille could be improved with the addition of some red pepper flakes. I'd add about a 1/4 tsp, depending on your tastes, when you add the onion and bell pepper to the pan. * Another possibility, if you're not a fan of spicy food, is to add capers. I had a bruschetta recently with eggplant, onion, tomato and capers that was absolutely delicious, so think they'd be lovely in the ratatouille as well. I'd start with a tablespoon, added with the tomatoes, and add more if you feel it is necessary. Ratatouille-5

categories dinner, vegetable
tags eggplant, pasta, tomato, zucchini

bella terra: tomatoes, part 1

August 18, 2009Andrea

You might remember that peaches claimed the number one spot on my "favorite summer produce" list. But I must say, it was a close, close race. In fact, Brian and I agreed that the attributes we loved most about both peaches and tomatoes were mostly the same. Both taste infinitely better during their season than at any other point in the year. The personal acquisition of each (peaches from the orchard, tomatoes from our garden) guarantees a freshness and minimization of the bruises that these fragile fruits usually have when gathered from the grocery store, not to mention warm + fuzzy memories of time spent with your honey. And finally, both peaches and tomatoes are so very summer. In the end, I think it was my sweet tooth and Brian's lack thereof that determined each of our favorites. tomatosoup1 (1)

The ripening of tomatoes in our garden is a bittersweet time for me. Sweet, because we look forward to the juicy yellow, orange and red fruits from the time we plant the seedlings in mid-May, and bitter because it signals the beginning of the end - the downward slide of summer into fall. Especially this year, when our harvest season has been cut so short by the blight claiming tomatoes across the Northeast. Brian and I noticed it early this year, the slow yellowing then browning and shriveling of the lowest branches on our plants. Eventually, the plants become skeletons of their former selves, with sad tomatoes hanging desperately to branches for as long as they can. We learned this year that there is no way to avoid the fungus, especially since we have a strict no-spray rule, and if we want a full harvest season next year we need to plant a succession of tomatoes every 4 weeks starting in May and ending in July. Lesson learned. tomatosoup merge 1

Despite the blight, we have had way too many tomatoes to handle all at once, just not enough for all of the canned sauces and salsas we had planned. We've had countless tomato mozzarella salads, tomato + hummus + ham sandwiches, roasted tomato pastas and just plain tomato slices sprinkled with salt and eaten while standing over the kitchen sink, juice dripping from our hands. Friends and neighbors have been lucky recipients of our extras - and in fact our guests last weekend claimed our house as the best "bed and breakfast" they'd stayed at as they loaded their car with a bag of heirloom tomatoes and a jar of homemade jam. In return, they shared a recipe for Heirloom Tomato Soup that was not only delicious, but a great way to use up large quantities of our bounty. tomatosoup merge 2

We made it the next night, and I was pleased after my first taste to find that it was reminiscent of a favorite tomato basil soup I enjoyed at a local Greek restaurant while in graduate school - rich and creamy, with a nice spice that hits the back of your throat after each bite. It was wonderful with fresh heirloom tomatoes from the garden, but I also look forward to trying it with canned tomatoes in the winter when I need a little reminder of warmer days. For me, tomato soup has no particular season - I'll take it any time of the year. tomatosoup06 (1)

This soup is the grown-up version of a childhood favorite, and pairs perfectly with grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches. We made ours with a fresh french baguette, jarslberg cheese and salty soprassata - but feel free to use whatever soft cheese and cured meat makes you happiest. Creamy Heirloom Tomato Soup I adapted this recipe from a friend's adaptation of a Cooking Light recipe. The original didn't use any cream, which I'm sure would be good, but the cream makes it oh, so delicious... serves 4 for dinner with a salad or sandwiches Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional - use more or less to suit your tastes)
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped finely
6 large heirloom tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 2 (28oz) cans whole tomatoes, if you make this in any season other than summer)
2 tsp sugar
2 large slices good quality bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup light cream
salt and ground pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme, basil and red pepper flakes, stirring until onions are translucent.
Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until tomatoes start to break down. Using wooden spoon, mash tomatoes against side of pot to release juices.
Stir in sugar and bread, stirring occasionally until bread starts to break down, about 5 minutes.
Transfer soup to a blender in batches and puree' until smooth and creamy (if you have an immersion blender, feel free to use it in the soup pot). Return soup to pot and stir in chicken broth and cream. Reheat, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with mini grilled jarlsberg and sopressata sandwiches, if desired.

We've been eating a LOT of tomatoes in our house, so stay tuned for more Bella Terra: Tomato posts... SRtomatoes-1-2

And, the Bella Eats Jam winner is...JENNY (comment #7)! Send me an email at bellaeats[at]gmail[dot]com and I'll get your jam out to you this week. If I don't hear from Jenny, I'll select another winner randomly in my next post. Other Bella Terra posts this season: Bella Terra: Preparation Bella Terra: Chives Bella Terra: Herbs Bella Terra: Sugar Snaps Bella Terra: Red Beets Bella Terra: Kale Bella Terra: Cucumbers Bella Terra: Blackberries

categories dinner, garden, soup
tags basil, soup, tomato

bella terra: just can't keep up

July 26, 2009Andrea

I feel like I am so behind on bella terra posts that I've got to give you another immediately following my last. Its the time of year, I suppose - even the farmer's market has exploded with dozens of options for fresh local produce. So many things are happening in the garden that I am having a very hard time keeping up. In fact, as I write this, the very last cucumber that we will get this year is ripening on the vine, and I haven't even shared a recipe with you yet! The rest of the cucumber plants have started browning from the ground up, wilting away in the high-80* heat we've had these last few weeks. Soon their place will be taken with new plantings of fall crops...once I figure out what those will be. cukes merge 1

We enjoyed an abundance of cukes this year, many more than we've been able to handle gracefully. I've shamelessly offered them to anybody who will take them, and am usually met with a pleased-yet-baffled look as I hand over an armload of huge cucumbers and am asked "any suggestions"? Salads, of course. Lots and lots of salads. cukes 7

Maybe this one - even though cucumbers aren't listed in the ingredients I think they would make a fine addition. Same goes for this one, which you're probably already making what with all the beets showing up in farmer's market booths and grocery stores this time of year. Throw some cucumbers in, they'd be great mixed with those golden globes, purple cabbage and just-off-the-vine tomatoes. But if you're looking for something new, something with a fresh California-inspired, deconstructed guacamole flavor, I've got just the salad for you. cukes 8

It screams summer, with its refreshing bites of cucumber and juicy tomato. The red onion adds just the right amount of bite that is tempered slightly by the creamy avocado. Take it to a picnic, a backyard fiesta or an evening dinner on a friend's front porch. Margarita not required, but definitely recommended. cukes 2

Mid-Summer Cucumber Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette vinaigrette from emeril via food network Ingredients:

3 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 small red onion, diced finely
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped to 1/2-inch dice
finely chopped cilantro, to taste (I find that everybody's tolerance for cilantro is a little different, so use as much or as little as you'd like)
1/4-cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp minced shallot
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt + pepper

Method:

Peel cucumbers and slice them in half length-wise. Scoop seeds out with a spoon and cut cukes into 1/2-inch slices. Place cukes in colander in sink and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss to coat and let sit for 30 minutes before rinsing very well.
Combine vinegar, honey, shallot, mustard and garlic in food processor. Slowly add olive oil and process until smooth. Salt + pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, toss rinsed cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro together. Add dressing to taste. You will have dressing leftover, and it should be used within 1 week.

categories dinner, garden, lunch, recipes, salad, vegetable
tags avocado, cucumber, salad, tomato, vinaigrette

better than take-out

April 26, 2009Andrea

My dear readers...I've missed you! I won't apologize because you all were so kind to point out after my last absence that I have no reason to, but I will say that life has been, in one word, busy. The kind of busy that comes with having a house guest for two full weeks. The kind of busy that sends you to Florida for an unexpected family emergency. The kind of busy that keeps you in the office until 3am to meet a deadline. The kind of busy that leaves you with little time to cook, let alone time to write about what you cook. minestrone-1

And, in the midst of all of that busyness, I've become completely obsessed with this book. And this one. So, the little spare time I've been able to find over this last week (you know, like when I should be sleeping), I've spent engrossed in the world of Edward and Bella. Its been so long since I've read a romance, let alone a fantastical one involving vampires and werewolves, that I'd forgotten how nice it is to step out of my own busy world for chunks of time to get lost in a fictional one. I don't know how I managed to resist the inexplicable pull of the saga for so long, especially with all of the hype the movie created last fall (which I finally watched last weekend in Florida with my stepsisters and which led to my buying the first book in the airport on the way back home) but the escape has been welcome. I feel a bit silly, especially when I read reviews that state "teens will relish this newest adventure...", but as a friend pointed out, there's just something about a good vampire romance that the female population can't resist, no matter how juvenile the books may be. And this female can't disagree. minestrone-2

When life gets hectic Brian and I try to plan meals that are quick to prepare and last for days. Our crock pot comes in handy on these occasions, acting as our own personal chef slaving away while we're at the office. This particular soup was the result of us running home on our lunch break to read a chapter of Twilight let our dogs out and discovering while hastily making sandwiches for lunch that we had some veggies in the fridge that needed to be used up. Knowing that there would be no time after work to prepare dinner (this was to be the 3am night), I pulled down the trusty crock pot and got to work. In one hour's time Brian and I ate lunch, made dinner, cleaned the kitchen AND I got a little reading in. Talk about productive. minestrone-5

That evening I hurried home, ladled soup into pyrex bowls, grabbed a bottle of wine and our dogs and got back to work. Even though dinner was eaten while sitting in front of my computer it felt good to know that it was homemade and healthy, so much better than the take-out that is usually consumed on such late nights. This week will be busy as well (I had to work this weekend to prepare for it) but hopefully things will be back to normal soon. And, I'm halfway through the Twilight saga, for which my kitchen (and my husband!) will be grateful, I'm sure. minestrone-8

Obviously this recipe can be modified in many ways to suit different tastes. I personally think that adding a bit of spice to the broth would be delicious. Crock Pot Minestrone serves 6, or 2 for three meals Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, or 2 small, diced into bite-size chunks
2 summer squash, diced into bite-size chunks
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped ham
28-oz can of diced tomatoes (I used the kind with basil)
8 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup dried cannellini beans
1 cup Israeli cous-cous, or other small pasta
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

Method:

Put the chopped zucchini, squash, bell pepper, ham, tomatoes, beans, bay leaves and fresh thyme in the crock pot.
Heat oil over medium heat in saute' pan. Add onion and saute' for 3 minutes. Add garlic and fresh oregano and saute' an additional minute. Add mixture to crock pot and put pan back on heat.
Add chicken broth to saute' pan to de-glaze the pan. Pour into crock pot.
Cook soup on high for 6 hours. When the beans are tender, add the cous-cous or pasta and fresh spinach. Place lid back on crock pot and continue to cook until pasta is tender and spinach is wilted, about 15 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste. (be sure to remove thyme stems and bay leaves before serving)

categories soup
tags crock pot, minestrone, quick, squash, tomato, white beans, zucchini

a few thoughts...

January 28, 2009Andrea

First of all, I want to welcome my new readers! I've seen a lot of new names pop up in the comments these last couple of weeks...keep it up! I love hearing from you. In fact, if you haven't commented before, please do! Don't be shy... I try to respond to all questions and suggestions as soon as possible, but sometimes it takes me a couple of days...I'm sorry! If you ask me a question, be sure to check back for an answer within a day or two. :) Secondly, there are some exciting things happening in our little community right now that I want to mention.

Meghann's training for a marathon! Not only is she training, she's raising money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Please check out her blog to keep up with her progress and to donate if you can! Also, she will be hosting a blogger bake sale the week of February 9th (I'll be selling some goods!) so be sure to check in and bid on some tasty treats to support a great cause!
BSI is back!!! Thanks to Biz over at Biggest Diabetic Loser for reorganizing the fun last week! She's picked Sarah over at Tales of Expansion to host this week's contest...DATES!!! I'm very excited. :)

And last, I've been a bad little calorie counter. Which means that little things probably slip into my mouth during the day that don't get tallied in my head or recorded on the blog. :( In fact, I know this happens, and I want to keep better track and hold myself more accountable for what I am consuming. ESPECIALLY since my exercise has been less then stellar what with my sad foot and crummy weather. I did so well with accountability my first month having the blog, then the holidays arrived and I just never really got fully back on track. I saw improvements in my body and how I felt that first month but I've definitely plateaued since then, and I'm ready for more loss and more toning! :) I don't plan to take pictures of every little thing because I work 10 feet away from my boss and I'm not willing to tell him about the blog yet. I try to take care of all photography in the morning and after work because I like consistency and I like the backdrop my table provides. :) But I do plan on at least telling you about all eats and keeping a running calorie count on my posts. I'll try to keep it simple and un-annoying...you might not even notice it. And, for the record, I haven't been keeping things from the blog purposefully, I just sometimes forget to mention something. Its never big...a dove chocolate here, handful of Kashi there...but as we all know, the small things add up. :) I don't plan to calorie count forever, but I do find that it helps me to gain perspective on what I am consuming. Now, on to today's eats! I tried something new with my oats this morning, something I've seen Kath and many others do...I added wheatberries to my oatmeal. And...I LOVED it!!! Breakfast: banana, PB, wheatberry + dried apricot oats. [470 cal - higher than I would like. i'm going to start having only 1/2 a banana in the oats to get it closer to 400 cal] 090128-b1

This DELICIOUS bowl contained:

1 cup water, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 small mashed banana
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp wheatberries
1 tbsp natural PB
3 small turkish apricots

Seriously, this may beat my banana, PB, fig + flax oats...or at least equal it. The wheatberries added such a wonderful chewy crunch! Lunch: leftover veggie tofu stir fry on 1/2 cup jasmine rice and 1/2 cup wheatberries. [499 cal] 090128-l1

Afternoon Snack: 1/2 cup plain Fage 0% and one tangelo. [132 cal] 090128-s1

Extras: 3 Dove dark chocolate hearts [126 cal - I should try to skip these tomorrow], 10 Annie's Honey Bunnies [54 cal] 090128-s2

Dinner: saffron tomato fennel soup [recipe] and "grilled cheese". [262 cal (soup) + 220 cal (grilled cheese)] This is one of my favorite soups, we make it several times a year. I added wheatberries this time and substituted thyme for basil because its what I had. I just realized that I had wheatberries with every meal today...versatile little things, aren't they?!? My substitute for the classic gilled cheese I normally enjoy with tomato soup was a broiled ham + cheddar sandwich on whole wheat sourdough bread. 1 slice bread, 1oz cheddar, 1/2oz sliced ham. Exercise: I went for a run!!! FINALLY! It felt great to be back out on the road, stretching out my legs. I had my new inserts in my shoes and I have to say, they hurt my feet a little! I'm hoping its just because my feet aren't used to them yet. I'm going to give it a few more runs and see how they feel. My toes have been all weird and tingly tonight too. They felt like they were asleep when I finished my run, and now they are red, a little puffy, and hurt to the touch. Strange! I've never had that happen before, and I'm hoping it will pass quickly! So other than my weird feet issues my 3-mile run felt great. I'm still hoping to train for the race, and am planning on getting a 5-6 mile long run in this weekend. I'll re-evaluate my training schedule after that. [3 miles, 10-min/mile pace, -318 cal] Total Calorie Count:

consumed 1,884 cal
expelled 318 cal
net 1,564 cal

I try to net between 1200 and 1300 calories/day when I am striving to lose weight, so I was way over tonight. This is what I love about calorie counting, if you had asked me before I counted, I would have told you that I did pretty well and was close to 1200 net calories. Wrong! Counting really helps me to keep perspective, and it makes me want to workout more so that I don't have to be as strict with my eats! Tomorrow my goals are to lower my breakfast and lunch cals and reduce my "extras". I also want to get up for some yoga in the morning and make sure to get a run in tomorrow evening. Do any of you count calories? What service do you use? I use myfooddiary.com, but you have to pay for it and I'm hoping to find a free service. I've got some work to do, then I'm planning on a hot bath with my book. :) G'night!

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags fage, fennel, oats, sandwich, soup, tomato

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