Browsing Tag

Healthy Eating

BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE, RESTAURANTS

Boston: Snapshots From a Fantastic Easter Weekend

Though I’m often out of town for major holidays, Easter is the one special time of year when my family descends upon Boston for a fun-filled weekend. My parents are probably savvier than some locals, given the amount of time they’ve spent in the city over the past 11 years. This is both a pro and a con, as it’s great that they know the city so well, but challenging in the sense that I’m tasked with planning the perfect mix of fun activities, both new and cherished favorites, for them to enjoy. If you were to ask them, they’d probably tell you that I think about these things too much, but I can’t help myself. I have a reputation to live up to (in my mind at least hehe)!

Inspired by our fun weekend, here are a few highlights from our favorite meals and activities. Feel free to take these ideas for when your family is visiting Boston, or when you’re trying to cater to a larger group of five to seven friends!

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RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Carrot and Chickpea Salad

I like it when my food can multitask. I’m so busy these days, that I make one vat of a salad-y item on the weekends and combine it with different ingredients throughout the week. Especially if you’re cooking for one, it’s a great way to avoid that inevitable food boredom.

For this dish, I’m starting with three of my pantry staples, carrots, chickpeas and toasted almonds, and I’m jazzing them up with a flavorful dressing. Made with a tangy, yet delicious blend of lemon juice, fresh cilantro, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne and ground black pepper, the end result makes pantry staples suddenly seem more gourmet.

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RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Now that we’re having consistently cooler weather, I am craving homemade soup. I’ve never been a fan of brothy, chunky soups, but thick pureed soups are right up my alley. Featuring creamy butternut squash, broth, a mix of comforting spices and a hint of tart granny smith apple, this soup is incredibly easy to make. In addition to being delicious and flavorful, did I mention that it’s also healthy?

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RECIPES

Recipe: Brownie Mix + Canned Pumpkin= Amazing Brownie Bites

If you’ve never used canned pumpkin as a lower fat/calorie baking swap, I’m about to rock your world.  Applesauce, mashed bananas, and other fruit purees get all the love when it comes to healthier baking substitutions, but I find canned pumpkin to be the top swap for brownies, carrot cake, and spice cake.

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how to make amazing canned pumpkin brownie bites, plus the best ingredients/brands to use. Are you hungry yet? Check it out!

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ENTERTAINING, RECIPES

Easy Entertaining: Cucumber Water

Cucumber Water

Life’s about simple pleasures, right? Whether you entertain a lot, or are looking for a new way to ‘spice’ up your daily H2O, I’ve got an idea for you: cucumber water. Inspired by my former roommate Gabi, adding a few thin cucumber slices to a pitcher or glass of water generates wonderful results. The water is not overwhelmingly cucumber flavored, the taste is more like an essence. Somewhat luxurious and spa-like, yet incredible simple, there’s a wow factor associated with cucumber water. Just ask my mom’s book club (hi mom!).

Have you ever tried cucumber water? If so, what did you think?

For more of my recipes, click here.