Top 5 Nutrition Noshes and Weekly Wisdom

Nutrition Nosh One. Wisdom.

I appreciate my Mom so very much. I appreciate all Moms very much. I cannot imagine how hard it is to be a Mom. Just think of the journey. No journey is the same and no journey is easy. No child is easy. In my eyes, it is the most difficult and challenging job on the market. I know my Mom has had her struggles and I also know she has had many joys. I know I might have been one of her biggest struggles and I hope one of her biggest joys. There is nothing I can do to repay my Mom for all she has done. She has comforted my tears and fears, kept me safe and alive, kept me fed with good nutrition and food, and hugged me when I wasn't so huggable. I know I was (and maybe still am on occasion) a pain in the ass sometimes, but I also know I am loved so very unconditionally. That is the beauty of our relationship. One we only share. I am so glad she chose me to be her daughter and I am so glad she was chosen to be my Mom. 

Nutrition Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.

My conversation today is with my beautiful Mom, Ruth.  

I was excited to sit down today with my Mom on Mother’s Day, which is a very special day. I always go back and see her every year and just celebrate her being my Mom. In a conversation a couple of months ago, my mom made the sweet comment that she was the “original dietitian.” That is when the light bulb went off and I thought it would be a great idea to do a special Mother’s Day podcast with my Mom (and hopefully more). My Mom is great and I love her with all my heart. She really is the inspiration of me becoming a dietitian and I am very thankful.

Please click here to enjoy my very special conversation with my Mom this past Mother’s Day

Nutrition Nosh Three. Week in Review. 

May is the start of warmer weather here in Iowa. We start to shed some layers of clothing, but sometimes a little too soon. I was fortunate to attend an event put on by the Iowa Food and Family Project with these lovely ladies, Paige and Anne. We started the day bright and early at 4:30 am without realizing how cold it was outside. While we shared information about local food products, we snuggled and drank a lot of coffee. The event's focus was centered around the local farms and food the great state of Iowa has.  We even had the privilege to meet the new Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Purduehttps://www.usda.gov/. To make the day even more fun, we partnered with the guys behind Tres Mentes Salsa, a delicious and local salsa made right here in Des Moines. If you haven't tried their salsa, you are missing out!  I always have a container of their medium salsa in my fridge for to use as salad dressing, tacos and a great topper for baked proteins. 

An exciting year of FNCE is approaching in October and I am still trying to figure out if I am going to attend this year. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is celebrating 100 years in their hometown, Chicago. It is very close to me this year, so I will be considering it pretty hard. I know it will be the most exciting one yet to see where our profession is headed in the next 100 years. 

I enjoyed a lovely breakfast at my favorite local spot, Cozy Cafe. I can walk to it from my house, so it balances out my latte and enormously delicious portion of hash browns. The food here is homemade, fresh and yummy. You should see their selection of homemade pies and muffins. I am pretty confident a plateful of hash browns and a latte are the way to go for breakfast. Top that off with great company and conversation and I am in weekend heaven. 

On Mother's Day, I jotted home to spend the day with my special lady. We really didn't have anything planned so that lead to opening up a bag of Cheetos (which is one of my Mom's and I favorite crunchy snacks). If I haven't shared this before, I like to eat Cheetos with a fork. It prevents the orange, cheesy finger madness and I also can't overdue it on those crunchy suckers. They best part about my weird fork-eating Cheetos habit, is my friends know me so well, they send me pictures of others doing the same thing!  My friends Carlena and Jenny both send me pictures of their littles munching down our favorite snack with a fork. If anyone else shares in this ritual, send me pictures please. I would love to see them!

We did eat something else besides Cheetos. I was trying to think of something easy and fun for a sweet treat for Mom and Gramma on Mother's Day. A yogurt parfait kept coming to mind, but I wanted to mix it up. As I was contemplating a change of dessert and wandering through the ice-cream aisle, I spotted the waffle cones and bowls. What a perfect vessel for a yogurt parfait!  It was fancy, fun, easy and delicious. 

Mother's Day Parfait

Serves 4

4 - 5.3 ounce containers of Dannon Vanilla Light and Fit Greek Yogurt

2 large prepared blueberry muffins, cut into cubes and divided

1 cup of granola, divided

2 cups of fresh fruit, diced and divided

4 waffle bowls

1. Place divided blueberry muffin in each bowl. 

2. Top with container of yogurt.

3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of granola on top of yogurt.

4. Top with 1/2 cup of your favorite fresh fruit. 

Nutrition Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week. 

Of course it is Mom inspired!  Dance party in the living room anyone? 

Click here for some fun songs you probably haven't heard but I know you will like!

Nutrition Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.

Well hello there. 

If you have ever had a morning flight on United Airlines and are in need of much needed travel nutrition, you may have encountered one of these tasty treats. Insert Stroopwafels. Until recently, I have only had them when I was traveling. After posting a picture of a recent Stroopwafel flight on my Instagram, I received confirmation of Stroopwafel retail spottings across Des Moines.  One of those locations was less than 1/2 mile from my house. Since they appear to be infiltrating Walgreens, if you haven't had one of these Dutch delicacies, you must give them a try. (Are you picking up on the waffle obsession this week?). There are many different brands out there, so I cannot speak to any other brand or flavor but the original from Daelamans. My favorite way to enjoy is to place one of the toasted waffles filled with caramel, cinnamon and real bourbon vanilla on top of a piping hot cup of coffee. The waffle and caramel inside starts to soften and the sweetness pairs perfectly with the bitterness of the coffee. I obviously stocked up on a few that day of discovery. Then I went online and realized there is chocolate ones, bags of mini ones and I can even get them by the case. I might be in a little trouble!

~AE

Wisdom Wednesday: Going Back to Cali....

I am pretty sure most of my adventures in life are fueled by my tribe and food. As a registered dietitian, I do talk about food a lot, but I also love to eat food with the people I love. I am so thankful for flavorful adventures with the heartbeats in my life. Food always taste better when consumed amongst great conversation and great people. 

The last few weeks have taken me back to some familiar places. Going to California has always been a favorite destination of mine. I have fond memories of the beauty that is California. This trip it was my time to experience Cali in a different way and to create new memories. It was great to go with a couple of my lady friends I enjoy spending time with. 

Nothing beats a little quite time while on vacation. Quiet time meaning a play list I love, a little run and the ocean. I enjoy vacationing with family and friends but it is part of my passion to always take a little time for me and do something I will remember for a lifetime. Not only did I get a workout in, but I spent this time looking into the future, how exciting it is going to be and adding to my mental "to-do" list. 

After my alone time, I reconnected with the girls and we headed out to explore the area around our hotel by the bay. We started walking and landed in Little Italy. Little Italy was bustling with good vibrations, delicious smells and a variety of restaurants and bars. We had so many places to choose from and decided fresh seafood and craft cocktails were calling our name.

We landed at Ironside Fish & Oyster Restaurant in Little Italy. We were immediately drawn to the large doors opening up to a cozy patio, ambient lighting and a hip, young vibe. There was a bit of a wait, so we cozied up to the bar while we waited on our table.  They had a lovely craft cocktail menu with their own twist on classics. I ordered the Old Ironside which was their take on the Old Fashioned. They had a nice selection of cocktails, craft beers and wine selection. We each found a delicious beverage to start the night. 

The best part about the Ironside is the fish is fresh daily. They had the local fisherman who provide the protein listed on their menu to know where the fish came from. After gazing around the room and reading the menu, I noticed one particular dish being served:  the Lobster Roll. I have always wanted to try this decadent dish and it seemed like this to be a perfect place. I was not disappointed. The buttery and delicious freshly baked roll, complimented by fresh lobster in a light cream sauce and my favorite, topped with thinly sliced onions rings. It was so filling, I could barely make a dent in my fries.  I would recommend dining here if you are ever in the area.

After dinner we were stuffed so decided to venture around Little Italy and walk off a few calories. However, we were drawn into a quaint little shop on the corner by sweet smells of gelato and lattes. We were greeted in Italian and were called Bella (which I think I could get use to) and immediately felt the coziness of this little cafe.  Pappalecco's had a lovely variety of freshly made gelato. We could try a bite of all the available flavors to see which one would be our favorite. I did try all of them. No kidding and ended up with mint chocolate chip and a delicious latte.

I got to end the night with these lovelies, sipping on lattes, laughing and indulging in the creaminess of Papplecco's mint chocolate gelato. Pure bliss!

The next day, after a great workout at the hotel gym, I headed back to Little Italy because I noticed signs for their Farmer's Market. I knew it would be a great way to experience the delicious food from California. I was especially interested in the fruit and avocados I could buy and eat while I was there. There is nothing like these fruits straight from the farm.  There was a lot of cool breads, dips, organic products, flowers and homemade empanadas, enchiladas and tortillas that I could not get enough of.

I loaded up on passionfruit, peaches, avocados and something new I had never seen or tried before, white grapefruits.

The pro blanco or white grapefruits were the sweetest and juiciest grapefruits I had ever had.

The “white gold” is a cross between a pomelo and a white grapefruit, with bright green to lemon yellow skin, a thick rind, and sweet flesh with almost no bitterness. I went back to the hotel and devoured them with my yogurt parfait and coffee on my hotel patio.  After I indulged in my Cali foods, it was off to the beach for some sand and sun.

We ventured to La Jolla. Amanda wanted to kayak through the caves and Jodi and I decided to grab a seat on the beach and catch some rays. 

There is nothing like your toes in the sand, the water and the cool breezes off the ocean. After Amanda braved the waves with her muscles and determination, we found a cafe along the beach to indulge in some snacks so Amanda could refuel after her kayaking workout.

I also decided I wanted to see the infamous San Diego Zoo, so I grabbed an Uber. Growing up near Omaha, Nebraska, I have been pretty spoiled being able to go to the Henry Doorly Zoo any time. I also wanted to compare the two. I did enjoy the San Diego Zoo, but it was a very hot day. Not a lot of the animals wanted to be social.

I always love to see the elephants. I wish they could talk so they could share with me everything they know and remember. Quite a few of the elephants have been a part of the zoo for over 30 years. It was so warm that day, one of the elephants was begging the zoo keepers to let him in the care station where they wash them and keep them healthy. I think he wanted a cool shower!

The snow leopard was also a fun part of visit. There was a service dog with a group of kids and this kitty cat wanted to desperately play with all of them. He kept snuggling closer to the glass where the kids and dog were. He would put his paws on the glass and then kind of meow/roar and roll around wanting to play.

After a long day in the heat at the zoo, I took an Uber back to the hotel with an adorable driver named Joe and decided it was time for some delicious Mexican Food. We stumbled upon this hip and cool place called El Camino. I loved the cool vibe it had with fun signage, a dimly lit dining area and a cool patio with bar tabletops. The crowd was hipster-ish and even thought we were right below the flight pattern of planes coming into the airport, we quickly got used to the loud sounds of the planes landing. We met a few new friends on the patio and Stacy was our favorite in her pretty pink dress.

We ordered table side guac (because I just had not got my fill of avocados yet) and I could resist enchiladas with mole sauce. It wasn't on the menu but I asked if they could make it. I was not disappointed. I have to apologize, I ate it so quickly, I forgot to take a picture of both the guac and the enchiladas. Needless to say, it was a great dinner to end the trip and I would also recommend making a stop at this tasty restaurant.

As soon as I got back from Cali, it was back to work and another one of my favorite times of year, the Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest at the Iowa State Fair.   This was the 53rd year of the contest and I was asked again to judge with Chef Terri Kohl. 

It was great getting to know Chef Terri. She loves food, cooking and teaching. She enjoys offering classes from specifically themed culinary classes, recipe demonstration and private cooking classes.  We were in charge of the turkey and lamb categories this year.  Here are pictures of our favorite dishes.

Sage Buttered Turkey by Dawnette Richards from Vinton Iowa won the Turkey category as well as Grand Champion. It was delicious!  

 Rylan Crowley won the Lamb Division with his Lamb Sliders. This was one of the most delicious lamb recipes I had ever had. The Iowa Farm Bureau puts out a cookbook each year with the recipes or feel free to shoot me a message and I will be happy to share them with you!

After the Cookout Contest, I got cooking with Chef Andrew. Chef Andrew has a great segment every Friday and Saturday on KCCI, Channel 8 here in Des Moines where he creates amazing recipes and dishes to go with the specific time of the year. September is Family Meals Month and I am promoting the health benefits of eating meals together as a family. Kids are happier and healthier, more likely to do well in school and have less depression and social issues.

I encourage families to take pictures of themselves dining together and sharing a family meal. For every picture you take of your family sharing a meal and posting it on social media with #HyVeeFamilyMeals, Hy-Vee will donate $1 to Meals from the Heartland. 

Chef Andrew shared one of his favorite healthy family friendly meals, Southwestern Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini. It was fun to make and even better to eat. Make sure to tune in this month!

The rest of my food adventures included a couple of birthday celebrations. My mom came to celebrate her birthday in Des Moines, where we did a little shopping and a lot of eating delicious food. Including a little stop at Whole Foods for a container of Gummy Stars. Damn I love those things and now I have her hooked on them. 

I made Mom a little white coconut cake. Mom loves white cake, so I decided to spruce it up with a little toasted coconut and a whole lotta candles for her to make a ton of wishes on!

While mom was in her cake coma on Sunday morning, I snuck out to KCCI with Sung Hee, a partner I enjoy working with. She works for Iowa Choice Harvest, a local company that secures and distributes locally grown Iowa produce to retailers and businesses, including schools and school lunch programs. One of my favorite products is their frozen apples. I always have a bag on had to warm in the microwave with cinnamon sprinkled on top for the perfect healthy and quick dessert. 

After TV, I went home and awoke Mom from her birthday slumber and we hit the town for a little more shopping and birthday sushi. Sushi is so much fun with mom because we both enjoy similar flavors. We order things we both like and then share. A new place opened up in my Waukee hood and we decided to give Wasabi a try. 

How cute is she?  Love her!

A little gyoza to get us going. 

Not as cute as my momma. But just as happy!

If you have not been to Wasabi, we absolutely loved it!  The atmosphere is awesome, the decor is hip and cool. I did not feel like I was in suburban Iowa at all. The rolls were beautiful, fresh, creative and delicious. Highly recommend a trip to this new additions to my neighborhood. Check out the menu here. 

After a whirlwind of a weekend of vacation, eating, and cooking, I had one more important birthday to celebrate. My Omaha lady tribe got together at a cool hip place in Omaha known as Pitch Pizzeria for awesome appetizers, happy hour cocktails and birthday conversation surround my beautiful frista Carlena.  The best part about her birthday is she had 3 desserts in 3 different places that night and she ended the night happy and dancing all the way home. And let me tell you, she has some pretty impressive birthday moves. 

Well, recapping all of my wisdom, food wisdom that is, has brought me joy and happiness to relive it with you. 

I will say I am a little full...

AE

Joyful Weekend

This weekend was so full of joy!  I started off digging into my big jar of joys and reading notes to myself from the past year.  

My friend Amanda gave me one of the greatest gifts I have ever gotten in my life. This started my joy revolution. Instead of ending each day with any negative thoughts, I wrote down a joy or many joys I experienced that day. At the start of my new year (my birthday), my intention is to settle in with a cocktail, a fire roaring and a snuggly blanket to read the great things that happened in the year before. This was the first completed year and it was such an amazing experience. I cannot believe through all the madness of 2015, I still had so much joy. Start your giant jar of happiness right now!! You will be so happy you did. I am already starting to fill it up with my joys of 2016.

Speaking of Amanda, she has the sweetest most loveable and well mannered man in her life, Brody. Brody and I spent a few days together this week and it was fun to be a doggy furmama!  I do love dogs and I couldn't resist snapping a shot of him chilliaxin in my backyard. Lil g handled him pretty well considering he has her beat by about 90 pounds.

The weekend brought this sweet lady into town, my momma, for a little cocktail club with friends, massages, pedicures, shopping, a little home maintenance, and some delicious food. 

We had a few Manhattans...many laughs and a little dancing....I will spare you those pictures 😆. 

We brunched at Gilroy's, our favorite new dining spot in Des Moines. I forgot to take a picture of our delicious breakfast. An amazing omelette with pastrami, sautéed onions and mushrooms, covered with a decadent mornay sauce. The hashbrowns, rye toast and coffee paired perfectly with this tummy pleasing plate. I couldn't resist ordering a fresh and perfect sweet Blueberry Smoothie with Mango Honey to-go. Next time I will not forget to take pictures. Make sure to go and experience breakfast at Gilroy's! 

The weekend was beautiful and we spent some time out in the sunny and 70 degree weather. I love my crab apple tree in my front yard, I wish it would stay this beautiful all year long. 

We ended our fun weekend with brunch, courtesy of yours truly. (I remembered to snap this photo, only because I do not cook this way often!). Nothing like a late morning mother/daughter chat with the windows open and the sweet spring air flowing through the house. 

Off to put these joys into my jar. Hope your weekend was full of them too. 

AE