Giada did me good and Lesson Learned

Tonight I chose a recipe from a Giada episode on the Food Network. She did an episode about Spa Meals at home, and they all looked so easy and delicious. I love the way I feel at the spa, so I was hoping for that same feeling with these meals.

But first I need to tell you that I didn’t get my run in. Today was a lot colder than I expected, and I had brought a t-shirt, and shorts for my run. It got really cool by 5pm, and I wasn’t sure that would be enough clothes. So I decided to just go home, change, and head out for my run. But I forgot it gets dark around 6pm and by the time I got home it was too dark to run. I am actually a little bummed because I was looking forward to my run, but I know now I MUST do it in the morning or bring warmer clothes from now on. Lesson learned.

I was still able to get in my morning routine this morning including leg lifts, crunches, and push-ups. I am considering this my Rest day since Tuesday I will be doing a run with the Georgetown Running Co. group. So I’ll just switch the days on my workout schedule.

Snacks today were 3/4 of an orange and 1/8 C unsalted peanuts. I like to have a little protein with my fruit to keep me fuller longer.

I love fall, and I love when all the trees change color. I think it is soo beautiful. I took some pics today, but they didn’t quite capture what it looked like in real life. However, I did get a pic of the sky as I was leaving work. Check it out.

When I got home I was pretty hungry, but I managed not to nibble while making dinner and just waited until dinner was ready. This dish was super easy to make, and tasted great! It was salmon over lemon basil pasta with a side of asparagus. It calls for regular pasta, but I only had this kind, and I thought it would be perfect because it was lemon pepper.

While I boiled the pasta I grilled the salmon and asparagus on my grill pan. Have I mentioned how much I love this pan? I just used Pam on the pan and seasoned both the salmon and asparagus with salt and pepper.

I also got the ’sauce’ ready for the pasta. I can’t stress enough how simple this is! Minced garlic, chopped fresh basil (I picked from my herb plant), olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. It also calls for capers, but I didn’t have those. I used my olive oil I brought back from Italy which has a bit stronger of a flavor than the olive oils here, but was perfect for this dish.

I mixed the sauce together and when the pasta was finished I tossed it in.

Then I served myself a portion with about 4oz salmon, and some asparagus. How good does this look?

And it tasted even better than it looked! It tasted fresh, and light, and bursting with flavor. This was the epitome of a spa meal. The only thing I regreted was using salt on the salmon and asparagus. I’ve said this before, but I don’t like using a lot of salt. My palate has gotten used to not using salt, and because I seasoned both with salt, it was almost too salty for me. But now I know for next time! Lesson learned AGAIN. You can see Giada’s original recipe here.

I had a sweet tooth after dinner so I made a small bowl of fruit with a sprinkling of cocoa nibs. I loved the tiny bit of cocoa you get with an added crunch. I also had a fat-free no sugar added hot cocoa. MMM

In other news-I was watching Rachel Ray the other morning and she had on a man on her show who was 90 years and he was a personal trainer. Check it out. His name is Moe Carson, and Moe doesn’t look a day over 60. SERIOSULY. He looked so good, and acted so young. I had a hard time believing he was 90 (he turned 90 this past September), and he is STILL personal training. He said the key to staying fit and young is MODERATION and MOVEMENT. He expressed how important it was to move everyday. He recommended that people do some sort of movement or working out for at least one hour a day (even if it is just walking). He also said that everything in life should be in moderation. What we eat, and what we drink should always be in moderation. Too much of anything is not a good thing. We hear this so often, but he is living proof that it works.

It really made me think about my life, and how I need to change it a little. I am not always the best at moderation, and I think I need to really start moderating what I’m eating and drinking. This is my body and this is my life. You only get one so treat it well!

On that note-goodnight!

Tagged as: Asparagus, Giada De Laurentiis, hot cocoa, olive oil, orange, pasta, peanuts, Pineapple, Rachel Ray, raspberries, Salmon