Martini Battle
Hey everyone! IT’S FRIDAY! Wahooooooo! Any fun plans for the weekend?
Sorry I’m a little later posting this morning. I was sleeping 🙂
Since the guys flew late last night, my friend Ashley and I decided to meet up for dinner and drinks at Bleu Cafe when we got off work.
Bleu is one of the places that I forget about here –very few restaurants have excellent food in Valdizzy. But when it’s good, it’s REALLY good- and hadn’t been in over a year. They have awesome food…and drinkies.
I was stoked to try to Cucumber Martini and see how it compared to 306 North’s.
It was light, refreshing and delicious. 306’s was better though 😉
The salad rocked my face off.
I ordered the entree-sized Greek salad, with goat cheese instead of feta, dressing on the side, adding a shrimp skewer.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
It was nice to get out of the casa instead of being a bum and waiting for the pilot to get home. Good thing I didn’t wait up- he didn’t land until midnight and got home at 4. Um, yeah.
I had to get up when it was still dark to meet my Lifestyle Challenge group (we talked about balance today. Eating balanced meals of carbs, healthy fat and lean proteins and a balance of meals, every 3-4 hours, throughout the day).
Bfast was a glorious maca-goji bfast cookie.
Usually I would work out after meeting with my group, but today it wasn’t going to happen.
I came back to the casa, crawled into bed with the puppies and pilot, then woke up two hours later. Muuuuuuuch better 🙂
Since I only have one training appointment today –I always schedule one slower day during the week- and the weather is GORGEOUS (hello, Spring!), we’re going to walk the puppies and then I might have to go read by the pool 🙂
Hope you have a wonderful Friday and I’ll see ya later with a reader’s request post. (send ‘em my way: fitnessista at gmail dot com, or feel free to leave requests in the comments section)
xoxo,
G$
Newsworthy:
Whole Foods 365 Brand Made in CHINA (Whaaaaat?! Mayjah thanks to the lovely bloggy who pointed this out to me)
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Usually when I order a martini, I get something “typical” – like a dirty or a lemon flavored drink.
I need to break free from the mold and try a veggie-flavored one next time! Sampling all is key because of my last name- Demartini!
hahah that would be like my name being “gina vino”. which would be awesome
Ooh the pool, you’re lucky! A cucumber martini sounds good, I may have to try that
I may be too new to know this, but why do you sub goat cheese for feta? Is it taste? Or is there something bad about feta I should know?
Yay for sunning by the pool. Lucky lady. Wish I could get a half day!
i just prefer goat dairy over cow dairy. i rarely, rarely will eat cow dairy products
I’m so confused by this – because feta is traditionally made with goat’s milk or maybe sheep, but almost never cow, unless it’s a low fat version. Is it different in the USA? In the UK and Canada, whenever I’ve had feta it’s been made from goat’s milk.
yup, it’s different in the us- it’s the exact opposite way around. it’s rare to find it made with goat milk
Oh that’s such a shame! One more reason for you to go to Europe!!
Down the road from where I’m from in Canada, there’s a farm that produces fresh, organic goat’s milk feta cheese. It might be the best thing I’ve ever, ever had.
that sounds AMAZING
Just another reason why we should all buy local foods!!! (although, sometimes I do go for whole foods brand when I need pantry items…i wonder where there stuff in bins comes from…)
Mmmmmmmm I love love cuke martinis. You really make me want one now…
seriously- they are SO good! especially in the warmer weather
SOOOOO jealous of your relaxing day of walks and reading by the pool! 🙂 🙂 Whatcha reading??
my horizontal life by chelsea handler. i just finished “are you there vodka” and it was hilarious 🙂
Ahhhh, reading by the pool sounds perfect!! And you definitely made the right decision going back to bed! 🙂
Some of those meatless recipes are now bookmarked in my favs for future use! I’ve been looking for some newer meals. Thanks for posting that link!
no prob, i thought they looked super tasty
Jealous of the pool time!!
Looks like a fun night! The salad looks amazing!!mmmmm.
Hope you have a wonderful day by the pool, which also sounds amazing. 😀
Leaving for Indian Food, complete with a list of YOUR suggestions! 😉
<3
feast up my friend. you’ll love it 🙂
oh, SO jealous of your potential pool-side reading! it’s snowing like crazy here in colorado… 🙂
I’ve never had a cuke martini, but it looks amazing!
Sorry the pilot didn’t get home til the wee hours. That stinks 🙁
Have a great relaxing day, Gina! 😀
i definitely don’t have much planned, my day off, i will probably just clean up the house some and relax. My back is very sore.
I’ve never had a cucumber martini. I’ll have to check it out if I see one.
Poolside is a must on days like this. We just moved into a place with a rooftop so I’ll be heading up there b/c Boston is a warm 68 today!!!!
QUESTION: what do you find is the key with eating well at restaurants and not feeling like salads are one of the few options you can enjoy and still feel lovely after? Any thoughts on that?
I love Cucumber martinis! And I never thought about subbing goat cheese for feta in a greek salad – what a great idea. i LOVE goat cheese! yum!
Made in China?! For real….*sigh*
YUM! That looks like a refreshing martini! I love when restaurants provide big salads full of super fresh veggies!
A cucumber martini? Interesting. Reminds me of the drink that they invented on ‘Cheers’ as part of a wager that called for a bruised cucumber…the Screaming Viking maybe?
love your dinner….that is something i would order for sure! love the shrimpees….
wtf about the 365 brand-gulp-don’t like it 🙁
Hi Gina,
Interesting article on the “Made in China” veggies. As a health scientist, I feel compelled to offer my two cents. I think there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the “organic” label.
First off, any product sold with the “organic” label has to be certified by the USDA. Having said that, there are tons of organic veggies sold in the US that are not labelled as such simply b.c the farmer cannot afford the hefty fees associated with registering as organic. The organic food industry is, just that, a huge industry that has been known to make claims that are not always backed by scientific findings.
Secondly, products made in China are just as capable of being produced organically as they are in the US. However, if people are interested in buying locally, they would definitely want to stear clear of buying Asian products.
I try to eat organic foods when I can afford to and they are grown locally AND when they are at the top of the scale for foods that should be eaten organically, however, I think the NY Times said it best when Mark Bittman reported:
“….he truth is that most Americans eat so badly — we get 7 percent of our calories from soft drinks, more than we do from vegetables; the top food group by caloric intake is “sweets”; and one-third of nation’s adults are now obese — that the organic question is a secondary one. It’s not unimportant, but it’s not the primary issue in the way Americans eat. ”
Food for thought:) And please keep these newsbits coming on the organic food industry. It’s good for us to stay informed. Thanks!
hey girl,
i totally agree. the thing is, it isn’t the quality of the food from china i’m worried about, it’s the LOCATION and distance that alarms me. that food has to travel a long way, transmitting toxic gases and causing harm to the environment. why not find a local us source for the food?
you’re also right about organic not really being the issue- the issue is for americans to change their eating habits in general. that being said, those of us who already are on the healthy path often want to purchase products that are not only pesticide-free, but from local and sustainable sources.
Hey Fitnessista – question. After a long run or good strong workout at the gym, I stretch for a bit and then I like to hang out in the steam room and sweat out all the nasty stuff. Is that bad for muscles? (I’m a runner – training for a half-mary right now) What are your trainer thoughts on steam room/sauna post-workout?
Thanks!
i don’t see a prob at all with it. i just get too toasty in there!
I had the BEST cucumber martini in San Jose. I couldn’t believe it came from an airport bar but it was the perfect drink for a hot day. I’ve been trying to find one that taste similar, in Chicago, but have had no luck:(
Reading by the pool sounds wonderful! Have fun. I’ve never seen a cucumber martini on a menu before. I will be on the lookout for it. Is that like the new thing?
a new thing for me! they’ve been around for a few years
I think people might be interested in this reply from Whole Foods:
http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/whole-foods-market-responds-to-wjla/
Ugh, seriously – made in China?? I guess the movie Food Inc. wasn’t kidding… food really is just a business.
Hi Gina! Thanks for pointing out that article to the made in China whole foods article. I feel really strongly about the issue, though probably not in a way you probably think.
Even though a lot of WF products are made in China, it’s completely unfair to generalize to say that all products from China are unsafe or don’t meet standards. Yes, it’s true that there have been some failed products such as the tainted milk scandal, but most of the farmers in China deserve just as much respect as the ones in the US. There are PLENTY of honest farmers with the utmost integrity who produce crops that are clean and meet all the standards for developed countries like the US. How can we just turn up our noses because something is simply labeled “made in China”?? While I completely agree that we need to be conscious to where our food is produced, it is far more important to know HOW it is produced and WHO is making it. My point is only to say that generalizing about the practices of a whole profession or group of people is just as ignorant as stereotyping and discriminating, isn’t it?
With that being said, I am all for supporting local farmers and growers. The majority of the products at whole foods are from the US, which is great!
i totally agree with you… if you read above, you’ll see that my issue isn’t with the quality of food (because i know it’s great, i buy it) but the DISTANCE and location of where it’s produced. to me, buying locally is almost as important as buying organic because the food doesn’t have to travel thousands of miles and emit toxic transportation gases into the atmosphere. why buy something from so far away, when you can find a nearby source that doesn’t cause harm to the environment by transportation gases?
I am one of those that turns up her nose at the “Made in China” label for many reasons. There are far too many human rights violations in that country for me to spend money on items made there in good conscious.
Does the integrity of the farmers matter since China is a communist nation? Do the farmers see any of the income from the produce sales?
The product recalls and deaths are too far widespread for me to trust anything with the label. There is a point where enough is enough – I have no issue with the Chinese as a people but I do take issue with tainted milk, baby formula, vaccines, drywall, pet food, toys…to say no more! I do take issue with a government that would rather slaughter its people than let them have free speech and buying products with the “Made in China” label is putting money directly into those very pockets.
I completely agree with the whole distance argument as well. I prefer to buy local, sustainable produce and don’t see why WF has to go so far to find it.
Anyhow, these are my views and I completely respect the opinions of those whose views are different from mine, I just hope to generate some thought in other directions and I certainly don’t mean to create more Friday blog drama for you Gina!
Happy Friday g-$,
I was catching up on posts and I literally LOLed (…..in the depths of the library no less) about the asian-style fajita=stir-fry moment. Thank you for that 🙂
I also thought the “faker” post was interesting. I’ve also made the move from artificial sweeteners (er….for the most part), but the other day I saw a new bar that I was just too excited about and had to buy. Remember those Pure Protein bars you used to eat? I loved them, and whether subconsciously influenced by your blog or what, I phased them out along with the other artificial products I decided my body didn’t need. But mysteriously the new flavor made its way into my grocery cart: peanut butter caramel! I mean c’mon! It’s not even on their website yet. Haven’t tried it yet, so maybe I’m getting all hot and bothered for no good reason …hmmm yeah I guess I should be hoping it tastes disgusting.
hahah glad my airhead moment could give ya a laugh. i was cracking up about it, too
GAH! i used to love those pure protein bars sooooo much. i hope it’s terrible.. and i mean terribly delicious 🙂
i posted about the china WF stuff on twitter a week or so ago; so crazy!
i guess it came out about 2 years ago but this was the first i’ve heard about it. crazy stuff!
Gina!
Help! I usually run about 7 miles/day and recently fractured my foot and can’t run for 2 months! I can’t swim because I have a mini cast on it and walk in a boot. I am allowed to do upper body weights. I usually do about 2-3 days per week of stregnth training. I am freaking out about gaining weight! I am a nutrition major and eat very clean to begin with! Any suggestions? What would you do to keep in shape? Thanks! I love your bloggie! 🙂
i honestly wouldn’t fret too much about it. eat well, and rest. maybe lift light weights, some mat pilates but other than that, you should be fine taking it easy for two months.
I’m shocked at some the comments on here… they obviously didn’t get your point about distance being your concern… sheesh people – try reading the whole post before writing ignorant comments. This is just my two cents.
Distance is a concern. I am struggling with the local/quality of life issue a lot since I moved to the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania and my husband has a gluten allergy. Walmart is the only grocery store and I somewhat hate supporting them. Anyway, it has been interesting =/ to see what can be sourced locally (so far it’s been beef, eggs, cheese and a farmer’s market in the summer) but hard to go without things you can’t get at certain times of the year or at all. My husband and I were actually thinking about doing a 100 mile diet except then you start thinking about your vices… he & I would be kinda sad living without coffee (from South America), tea (probably India), brown rice (California), chocolate (the Tropics), wine (California or France). I could keep going!
I know for me on a small scale it has been a struggle between wanting everything we eat to be be local & organic yet really enjoying things from other places. I can only imagine running a nationwide food chain like Whole Foods where you would like to be 100% local & organic but the demand from the customer is such that it forces you to source from the other side of the world in order to offer foods not in season or available at all locally.
Anyway, maybe you could start an x% local challenge? Now that I think about it, since it’s spring and I can now get veggies locally perhaps my husband and I will try something like that for the summer!
So I’m a Malbec, Prisoner girl and then I stumbled into a cucumber martini and WOW I AM SO GLAD IT FOUND ME i love them – they are so freaking- tactic !!! Yummm??