Top 5 Nutrition Noshes and Weekly Wisdom from Minneapolis

Nutrition Nosh One. Wisdom. 

The element of surprise has been a little lost in my life. I think when I was younger it was simultaneously used with the word discovery because I was learning and experiencing new things all the time. As I get older, I do not have the opportunity to experience surprises as often and I miss it. I always give people a weird look when they say they hate surprises. Who hates surprises, really?  I think it is so important to be open to what could happen, not what we expect to happen. You see, when we have expectations, the only person we disappoint is ourselves. No one else. I have learned to be open. Open to being surprised, trying something new, letting someone surprise me and then in return being grateful for the experience. It is a healthy swap; not only in our personal and professional lives but even with our food and nutrition.  Get out there and take a walk on the wild side. Try a new veggie, go on a vacation to no where you have ever been, jump out of an airplane. Expect nothing out of any adventure because the littlest surprises can bring something life changing.  

Nutrition Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation. 

My conversation today is with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Jessie Hatch

Jessie has such a beautiful and poetic dietetic journey so far. She found an interest in nutrition at a young age with her family having a garden and always eating her fruits and vegetables. When she went to college, she took nutrition and fell in love with the class, navigating her way to her dietetics degree with the help of a few very important professors. She sheds some light on getting a masters degree, always being open to opportunities and embracing the importance of being a life-long learner. She is currently working passionately with moms and babies, including neonatals, being in the media providing education and serving as president of the Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Please click here to enjoy my conversation with Jessie.

Nutrition Nosh Three. Week in Review.

After my conference, I decided to stay in Minneapolis for some extra fun for a few days. I had some plans with family, which unfortunately fell through but I had a completely different adventure. I stayed at the snazzy and modern Radisson Red Minneapolis which is right by the new U.S. Bank Stadium. I loved the simplicity of the room, the bed was very comfy and there was a table in the room for all my work and personal things. Nice little gym and hip bar/food in the main lobby. A lot of downtown Minneapolis is also accessible by walking from this hotel, which is how I love to experience a city. A  really fun thing about this hotel, when you walk through the front entrance, there is a large wall with a screen/camera you can take your own selfie on. Proof below! 

I was so luckily surprised by friend Jason who came down to help me create a Minneapolis experience after my change of plans. It was so fun!

We found ourselves grabbing a quick bite before heading out downtown at Eastside Minneapolis. This was the second time dining here because I really wanted to have more fresh oysters. I have found myself on a oyster eating adventure too and because I am surprised by how much I like them.  Eastside has a nice little appetizer of oysters in the half shell, 3 from the east coast and 3 from the west coast accompanied by cocktail, lemon, horseradish sauces and a Barrel Aged Mignonette. I am quickly finding out I am a fan of the east coast brine and saltier flavors. 

During my Midwest Dairy conference, I received a beautiful memento from my friend Jen Haugen. I opened it up during oyster #2. Another surprise! We shared a booth at FNCE this past year showcasing being new authors with our books. Her book, The Mom's Guide to a Nourishing Garden, is what inspired me to complete my own book and is a beautiful read connecting family and food. Our friendship of support and fun has been a incredible surprise in my life. She inspires me every day and I am so very thankful!

After some oyster fuel, Jason and I took off for our walking, eating and cocktail adventure. Just down from the Eastside is the bridge going overlooking the river and I got this pretty photo in the afternoon. 

While taking in the scenery, we consulted some friends and got a great recommendation for happy hour at Barrio. I am not a huge tequila drinker but there was a flight available on their menu and I thought why the hell not! I did learn after this experience, I do enjoy an aged tequila A LOT!  It is very tasty and perfect for sipping. Why in the world did I ever do shots of tequila?  No bueno. I will be sipping from now on. 

The happy menu is VERY happy. A plentiful menu of delicious and creative appetizers ranging from $3 to $5. I chose the guac with house made chips and salsas. It was the perfect compliment to the tequila flight (and my water and Dos XX). 

After we bathed in happiness at Barrio, we went on another walk to the Warehouse District to a recommended speakeasy, Marvel Bar. I have been to a couple of speakeasy's and at each of them we had to ring a doorbell and know a password. That is not the case at Marvel Bar. Jason and I made it to the well-know "purple door" and rang the door bell and stood there. As we had confused looks on our faces, I thought, why don't we try the door. Completely open. I think we laughed about it for 10 minutes. And we laughed about it again today! Marvel Bar had a great vibe, comfy and cozy seats and an extensive list of craft cocktails. They have a great list of creative original cocktails and also some classics available (I enjoyed a few Manhattans). It is definitely worth the trip to experience this trendy speakeasy.

We had a fun night of new experiences, all because I let someone surprise me! Thanks Jason!

While I was away, I had more surprises!  My Mom and cousins Christine and Denis, asked if they could come to my house for a little weekend getaway. Of course, B&B Anne Elizabeth is always open to my heartbeats. I thought they would come down, relax, explore Des Moines. I am not quite sure how much of that they did because I was surprised by LED lights underneath my kitchen countertops!  They are the coolest! They are small and put out a ton of light, without using a lot of energy. It was such a great gift!

Another great surprise were these beautiful pots from Earl May. I have a beautiful Bird of Paradise and a Ponytail Palm Tree in my living room. Each are around 38 years old and have been re-potted a few times because they have grown so much over the years. The Bird is from Hawaii when we use to live there and the Palm was a gift at my Dad's new job when we moved to Iowa. A LOT of history with these plants and they look great in my house. The plants are totally busting out of their current pots so now they will have a new happy home to live in. I am going to have to reserve a room for Mom and Christine and Denis at my B&B to assist with the move. I hope I can persuade them with food and cocktails (and maybe a back rub). I will be sharing with you how this all unfolds in the weeks to come. 

Nutrition Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week. 

This weeks playlist is inspired by all my adventures with my friend Jason.  

It can only put a smile on your face when you are doing your deadlifts!

 Nutrition Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now. 

If you haven't noticed by now, I love writing. Back in college when I took creative writing, I had no idea it was something that would bring me joy. It is also great to see your name in print. I am very grateful for the opportunity to write for different entities and had to share one of my latest this year. There is some great information about pineapples and one of my most favorite recipes. Head over to Best Foods Facts for a quick and fun read I am proud of.

Each week this month, I am going to share a dairy delicious idea or recipe with you to celebrate National Dairy Month. This week, I am really enjoying all the fresh fruit in the Midwest. Raspberries are one of my most favorite fruits and Siggi's Dairy Raspberry Yogurt is always found in my refrigerator. I usually do not have yogurt for breakfast, but enjoy getting creative with it for lunch or even a quick dinner, especially when it is 96 degrees outside!  I like to add in different things for crunch and added nutrition. This week, I partied with fresh raspberries, a chopped up KIND Madagascar Vanilla Almond Bar and 1/3 cup of JollyTime Simply Popped Popcorn. Sounds completely random right?  It was very filling, crunch, sweet and surprisingly delicious. Almost all my favorite things in a perfect package. Remember:  the littlest surprises can bring something life changing, even in a cup of yogurt. 

~AE

5 Nutrition Noshes and Food Hangover Wisdom Wednesday

Nosh One. Wisdom. 

Hungry. Cravings. Food. More. Now. 

There are days all I want to do is eat the house down. It is usually after a holiday where I eat anything  and everything I want with wild abandon. Then the next day....my body pays for it. 

It is in food hangover mode. It is sleepy, exhausted, lethargic. My brain is fuzzy, I cannot focus. My pants are tight, my socks are cutting off the circulation in my legs and ankles, a new pimple has decided to pay my chin a visit and my thirst cannot be conquered. 

I could give 2 shits what the scale says after a day of eating like this. It is all about the way I feel. I feel horrible and my body is doing everything to process the caloric, sugar and fat madness boxing it out inside my body. Then there is my appetite, it is raging out of control and I want to continue the inhaling of all things made of sugar and fat deliciousness. I am a firm believer my appetite spirals when I eat an excess of any food, including fruits and vegetables. 

It is all about balance and portion size and all foods fit. Quote me on that AND please, please, pretty please hold me to it upon the next holiday.  Thank you. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.

The Story, Journey and Passion of Brian Smith, RDN, LD

My conversation today is with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Brian Smith.  I have to tell you, sitting and talking with Brian is like sitting with a friend I have known for a 100 years. He is so warm and welcoming. What I love about this conversation with Brian is that he has had multiple careers, has traveled around the world, was a star college athlete, brews his own beer, loves to cook, is raising 2 daughters after the passing of his wife and still lives a good examined life with much satisfaction. He truly embodies the definition of living his passion by being a registered dietitian. If you are someone who has found dietetics later in life, you will find a great connection with Brian. Also, if you are a student or intern, Brian is a mentor who welcomes you with open arms. I wish I would have had him in my life at the start of my dietetics adventures.

Click here to enjoy my conversation with Brian

Nosh Three. Week in Review. 

This past week I flew into Indianapolis to speak at the Indiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting: Making A Difference.  

It was my first time to Indianapolis and it was a quick in and out. It was great to meet new dietitians again! I was surprised to learn there are more than 1400 members of IAND and 4 colleges that either offer a dietetics program and/or internship. A lot of mentoring and preceptors in Indiana! I absolutely am loving getting to know new people along my journey and maybe getting a chance to touch their lives in some way. I also got to do some podcasting with 2 new friends that I cannot wait to share with you. Registered Dietitians are doing some AHHHH-MAZZING things!  I am always blown away by my peers!  It confirms the path I chose was the right one. 

Before I boarded my plane back to Iowa, I had a few hours to catch some of the local eats in Indiana. I headed to the Broad Ripple neighborhood. There were a ton of restaurants and places to enjoy a cocktail, but Flatwater Restaurant caught my eye based on menu items and what I was hungry for!

It was a beautiful day to sit on the patio overlooking the canal. Very relaxing place to enjoy my last few hours in Indy. 

Wedge Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, yum!

House-made hummus I could have eaten with a spoon. 

Pulled Pork Nachos

I kind of had a problem choosing one thing and I did not make it past the appetizer/salad section of the menu. So now, I will have to go back!  Everything was delicious and you can tell they made about everything in house. The Green Goddess dressing on the salad was delicious and the hummus was creamy and perfectly flavored. It was even a bigger treat to have a dill cucumber salad and kalamata olives with it. The nacho chips were made fresh too and the brisket was perfect, not to smokey and perfectly tender. I highly recommend!

Since I was traveling, I also had a lot of work to do, so I decided to host Easter at my house this year.  As I was getting things ready on Saturday night, I channeled my Dad and decided to dye eggs. Something I never did when I was younger because my Dad and sister always did it for the family. I had no idea how to even do it, so thank goodness for McCormick's dye and easy directions. 

The finished project!  I even had a white crayon for adding decor!

I decided to fancy up my table with beautiful glass chargers my sweet cousin Christine gave to me that matches my polka dots and dots on my glasses and dishes. The Easter Bunny brought my guests a Lindt Gold Bunny and a snack container of Skippy Natural Peanut Butter for dipping (I still haven't eaten mine, but I know he will be whispering to me tonight). 

Ham and fresh asparagus make a pretty presentation. 

Roasted sweet potatoes with honey and fresh rosemary

Hy-Vee Seasons Magazine saved the day and gave me some great and easy recipes for Easter dinner. Thank goodness!  I did not have much time to plan and it was easy to grab the magazine and shop right from there in-store. 

My Gramma Alice celebrated 91 years of life this past Friday, so it seemed only fitting to have her favorite pie, sing Happy Birthday and make wishes. My mom also brought her delectable caramel pecan cinnamon rolls (with golden raisins! Yipee!) that I have mentioned before. So I had to have a little of each. It was a great, relaxing day!

Too much sugar?  Nah.

Love these two beauties. 

Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week. 

Channeling my inner small town country girl this week, channel yours and click here!

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.

While I was in Utah, I met Registered Dietitian Brianna Rhodes, who love to cook and entertain as well as being a wife and a mother of 3 kiddos. She has started her own new adventure, her own business, RD and Me Nutrition.  She enjoys one-on-one counseling and takes clients to help them make real lifestyle changes with the help of her coaching and expertise. You must go check out her blog!  She shares easy and delicious recipes in her blog with mouth-watering photos of her food creations.  You can sign up for her blog, Confessions of a Dietitian, and never miss a recipe. This is a picture of her Cran-Apple Chicken Salad. I love her passion: "teaching you that nutrition is simple and to get back to basic, healthy and happy eating." I have made a couple of her recipes, including this one, her Asian Lettuce Wraps & Chow Mein and her Greek Meatballs & Couscous. All of them are soooo easy, delicious and healthy. What is also SOOO GREAT is she includes the nutrition label for each recipe. Give her some love and yourself some love by going to her website to make some of her recipes. I know I will be visiting often!

~AE

5 Nutrition Noshes and Wisdom Wednesday

Nosh One. Wisdom.

Photo credit to my new friend and Registered Dietitian Karlee Adams on Instagram

Do you have this innate desire to make everyone happy like me?  This is something I have struggled with my entire life and it makes me sad I have done this for so long.  I would drive myself psychotically bonkers trying to be everything to everyone. Within in the past 3 years, I have LET. THAT. SHIT. GO. I am not a pizza. I cannot make everyone happy.  But I most definitely can make myself happy. Yes, me. Not anyone or anything else. Me. When I take care of me and all the atoms that compose this pretty awesome person, then I can share with others my happy. When I am radiating happy and when I have contagious happy, my tribe picks up on those vibes and in return are happier as well.  Take care of yourself, make yourself happy, "do" for you. When you can 100% do this, then you will naturally stop trying to be the pizza and instead you devour the pizza happily with others. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.

The Story, Journey and Passion of Susan L. Roberts JD, MS, RD

My conversation today is with Registered Dietitian Susan Roberts. Susan has been a pioneer in a variety of professional settings by creating her outstanding professional path. During college, she discovered her appreciation and passion for landscape architecture and agriculture blended well with becoming a registered dietitian. In the middle of her career, Susan went to law school to have the opportunity to influence food policy as a JD and RD.  In our conversation, she shares her passion for research, sustainable food systems, owning a private practice, advocacy and policy, childhood obesity, her joy of gardening and cooking, as well as working with the Let’s Move Campaign and the former First Lady Michelle Obama.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Susan.

Nosh Three. Week in Review. 

Why is it when we get older, time just flies by. I never thought I would ever say this, but it does. I am really enjoying starting my week off with flowers. There is something sweet and special about starting off your day seeing something that radiates happy.

Cocina Mexicana Hy-Vee 4th and Court Avenue, Downtown Des Moines, Iowa

I met my friend Nate and his wife for lunch at the new Hy-Vee in downtown Des Moines for great conversation. I also wanted to see the new store, get some goodies (loose tea and spices were on my list), try a few new things and experience lunch. With so many unique options unlike any other Hy-Vee from Hibachi, Italian, Deli and soup/salad combos, I reluctantly passed by the smoothie station (I will save that for a snack sometime, I was really hungry) and stopped at the Cocina Mexicana. I am very glad I did. 

Made-to-Order Burrito Bowl

Why I loved these eats is because of the variety of fresh options. And I love anything that resembles or tastes like Mexican food. I could eat it every day, not kidding. In less than 5 minutes, you can have a burrito, burrito bowl, street tacos or quesadilla made for you. There are 4 protein options:  Pollo Asado, Beef Barbacoa, Pork Carnita and Vegan Tofu Chorizo. There are a vast variety of toppings from black or pinto beans, cilantro or chili lime rice, salsas, fresh cilantro (YES!), avocado or guac, Monterey cheddar or Chihuahua cheese and fresh chips. The key word at the Cocina Mexicana is FRESH. Everything was so fresh and delicious. I had a burrito bowl with cilantro rice, beef barbacoa, fresh romaine lettuce, lots of fresh pico, fresh cilantro, guac, Chihuahua cheese and a berry La Croix. I couldn't stop eating my lunch but there was so much food for less than $6, so half of it went home with me for dinner. I will be going back and it will be fun to try a different combination full of color and flavor.

I was hungry for pasta and Italian food this past week and got inspired by new products I saw in the grocery store to try a new recipe.  I had some Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey in the freezer and some leftover red onion. McCormick Seasonings have come out with Organic blends and I was intrigued by the Italian Seasonings with Flaxseed. This would be a perfect addition to meatballs.

I mixed 1 pound of the ground turkey with 1 egg, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1 tablespoon of McCormick's Italian Seasoning and Flaxseed blend, and 1/4 cup of Aleia's tasty Italian breadcrumbs I had in my pantry. 

I sculpted these tasty bites into 12 nice sized meatballs, placed on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and popped them in the 350 degree oven for about 18 minutes. 

Meanwhile, I got busy preparing my "noodles."  These sweet potato noodles by Nora and Ashley's Veggie Plates (made right here in the Midwest) caught my eye in the grocery store. Zucchini, beet and butternut squash varieties are also available, but I am always a sucker for sweet potatoes. I have a spiralizer and have done my own sweet potato noodles, but it was a busy week and I needed the extra time.

I added a little olive oil to a skillet heated to medium and placed the whole container of noodles into the pan to warm them. I don't recommend moving them around to much because they will break easily on you. To cook, you will want to give them about 10-12 minutes, flipping once during that time. I like mine a little toasty and browned, so I let them cook for about 15 minutes. 

I then added a jar of prepare tomato pasta sauce and let it warm for about 3 minutes. 

I topped the pasta with 3 meatballs, freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and fresh basil. It satisfied my pasta desires and was very filling. I was not able to finish my plate, so half the noodles and meetings went to work for lunch the next day. 

Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week.

You may have wondered why I share my workout playlist. I am motivated by music, all the time. From writing, to cleaning to exercise. Just like my food, my palate changes each week. I also like to keep my workouts efficient and effective, so 30 minutes or less for this girl, which is the length of my playlist.   I would love for anyone to share with me their playlists. I love new and different music, send it my way!  anneelizabethrd@gmail.com

This week is it all new songs I really like right now (well at least new to me!), just click this link!

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.

This girl. I love her all this time but this past weekend, I got to spend some precious and rejuvenating time with her. Carlena is my frista. The bestest friend a girl could have. She makes me laugh, she make things easy, she has the biggest heart and loves more than anyone I know. She is a great mom and wife. She is just awesome. Life is busy lately for both of us but we still make time to reconnect about once a month. Each time we get together, it is like we pick up right where we left off. She makes my heart and life full, I am so thankful for her. 

Blatt Beer & Table (try the Border Burger!!!!)

Nothing beats a weekend of burgers with your bestie. 

~AE