“Real life” job is SUPER busy today. So I’m copping out and linking you to another place where you can read a post from yours truly: the Fitfluential blog! And if you weren’t already reading it, well…that’s a problem đ
Check out my recap of the Color Me Rad 5K in Braintree, MA, held this past Sunday! Team Fitfluential represented and rocked it!
My colorful #PROOF.
Don’t forget to comment over on that post! I’ll be checking them!
Tina of Carrots N Cake (a healthy living blog I’ve been reading for several years, since I first discovered them) posted a recipe at the end of last month in a post titled The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Obviously I was immediately intrigued. You would be too, right? Well, I’m pleased to report that Tina is a truthful blogger.
The recipe was for sweet potato quesadillas. YUP. If the post’s title had grabbed me before, I had now been…snatched?…by the recipe’s title. Tina’s version used black beans, sweet potato, and a whole wheat tortilla – all of which my mom used when she made these for her and I two Sundays ago. But Tina also used Babybel cheese and chopped kale, which my mom and I replaced with goat cheese and edamame for extra protein! Mashing the sweet potato was easy thanks to Ore Ida’s frozen sweet potato steak fries. The edamame was also a frozen variety that we simply heated up in the microwave. For the tortilla, we used Flat Out Healthy Grain Harvest Wheat wraps.
How amazing does that look? I have to tell you that it tasted even better. My mom and I did a lot of moaning and groaning – foodgasm-ing, if you will. We paired our quesadillas with Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet blend. I really loved it – and it’s such a cheap wine! Definitely recommended if you’re on a wine budget.
The beginnings of a great side.
Because that one quesadilla each is NOT enough food for us, my mom also whipped up a second blog-based recipe: Jenny’s refried black beans from Tofu Swag. My mom was doubtful that she’d pull this one off, but it came out AMAZING. The only change my madre made was adding the onions in the beginning (see photo above).
Fabulous AND healthy. This entire meal was protein-packed AND vegetarian! I may eat meat but there’s no denying that it’s totally possible to get enough protein from plants. The refried beans were drool-worthy and we can’t wait to whip them up again.
Thanks for sharing the recipes, Tina and Jenny! Thanks to you two, my mom and I dined like queens on a Sunday evening.
I also just have to say that I had the most kickass workout yesterday. I went to my favorite class at my gym, a Step class with awesome choreography broken up by HIIT drills. The combos were filled with kicks, knees, and “basketball shooters” (for da glutes). I worked most of the moves to perfection and even had the energy after class to rock a 4 minute #plankaday!
#PROOF
Also, check out what I hung up in my work cubicle today…a recap of my Color Me Rad experience is coming to the Fitfluential blog soon! I’ll let you all know when it’s up!
Have you ever tried making your own refried beans?
What’s the best recipe you’ve ever gotten off of a blog?
What’s the most innovative way you’ve ever used sweet potato?
Check out fellow FitFluential Ambassador Tara‘s recent link-up of body weight workouts! It includes my hotel room workout đ perfect for your summer vacations!
Thank you those who participated in the giveaway for two free race entries to a Color Me Rad 5K! I received 38 total comment “entries”, and used a random number generator to pick the two winners:
Congratulations to Valerie and Angela! Please email me at [email protected] so that I can send you your promo codes to use at checkout when you are registering for your race!
So you may read this post’s title and say…blending? Blending what?! Blending with my best blend, Heather! She came to visit me last weekend, and we had an amazing, fun-filled Sunday. It really turned out to be a fantastic time, and I don’t think it’s any coincidence that it started pouring the rain when it was time for Heather to drive back to MA. The weather knew how I was feeling!
Matching shorts/dress colors were a total coincidence!
I took my flower child (she pulls off that look!) to her favorite Glastonbury spot, and one of mine, Daybreak Coffee Roasters! Last time Heather visited she fell in love with the local cafe, so a trip to get their coffee and blog AKA what I do many weekends was at the top of her list.
She selected Southern Pecan, made in the French press!
My usual coffee with a splash of steamed skim and sprinkle of cinnamon in a big old mug! I had the Creme Brulee, mm.
After a few hours of tech time and caffeinating (that should be a real verb) ourselves, we set off to a destination I’ve been dying to show Heather, the Coventry Farmers’ Market. This is by far the best farmers’ market I’ve EVER attended – and it must have been everyone else’s best as well, because we ended up waiting in traffic for about 30 minutes on the windy one-lane road leading to the parking area! Finally we found a spot on the side of the road and walked the remaining 1/2 mile…fine with us, it was a gorgeous day. A tip to any CT residents who want to attend – it starts at 11AM, but aim to arrive by 10:45AM at the LATEST!
Matching Oakley bags from the TIU Meet-Up to carry our stuff – pure coincidence!
One of my very first blog entries was actually about the products I found during my first trip to the Coventry Farmer’s Market! How funny – last time I went I was a new blogger, and now I have all these amazing experiences and new friends under my belt as a result of starting Cait Plus Ate. Who knows where I’ll be next time I go?!
BB takes pics and the crowd lines up at the Agave cart.
We were in heaven! The market was hoppin’ – it was opening day of the season after all.
Loved the wooden signs decorating the RIPE natural drink mixers booth. Unfortunately those were the names of mixers, not actual drinks.
There were many food carts! This cart even served up a tofu roll.
Heather enjoyed a fresh fruit smoothie from Raw YouNiverse, and I enjoyed a sample of their kale chips ($10 a bag though…)
The Fish Market is there each year with the freshest of seafood.
These stuffed breads sounded to die for!
Freshly baked pastries and loafs.
Gourmet truffles and coffee.
These nice folks from Norm’s Best let me sample marinated mushrooms, jalapeno jams, and award-winning BBQ sauces.
Loved the way these jams and jellies were packaged.
Sampled some amazing maple garlic salt (yup) and maple peanut brittle here.
Beautiful bottles of oils and vinegars!
Adorable tea packaging.
I’m such a salt fan that I had to pick up a tiny jar of smoked sea salts. Any new kind of salt is a must-try in my book! Can’t wait to try this on a meat or seafood from the grill.
Beeswax candles – they smelled amazing!
I purchased one the above votive beeswax candles from Swift Farm. The man working there gave Heather and I some very interesting info on candles. I burn them every morning and evening, and usually buy them from Bath & Body Works. Those are parafin candles. Apparently they are not only the most common, but also the most HARMFUL to the air. According to the Swift Farm rep, the second-best form of candle to burn is soy, but most are NOT non-GMO. That leaves us with the best kind to burn – 100% beeswax, completely natural. And they really do smell fantastic! I’m going to “burn through” the rest of my B&BW candles, but what he had to say was interesting and I’ll have to reconsider whether or not I want to purchase any more from there in the future.
I also bought a natural lip balm from Swift Farm. The ingredient list is amazing: almond oil, beeswax, cocoa butter, comfrey oil, vitamin E oil, and rosemary & peppermint essential oils. It feels so soft on my lips, smells great, and gives a slight, satisfying peppermint tingle. Crazy though how those with nut allergies would need to avoid this lip balm. I could easily forget about the almond oil and am worried I’m going to give some to a nut-allergic friend who asks to borrow some!
Pita pizza and the fated last tabbouleh!
Last year I visited Iffat, a hilarious, friendly man who runs the Lazizah Bakery in Yantic, CT. They are famous in the state for their falafel, but don’t sell it at the farmers’ market because Iffat would have to make it in Yantic and bring it to Coventry since the fryer isn’t portable. He’d rather NOT sell a lower quality version of his most famous product than make the money he could probably make if he sold pre-made falafel. I admire that!
Iffat was just as fun as he was last year, calling Heather and I “beautiful girls”, and answering my questions about the above herbed pita, which I purchased and made into a FAB shrimp pizza for dinner a few nights later with my mom.
 There was just one case of tabbouleh left, one of Heather and I’s favorite Mediterannean foods, so we decided it was fate that we split it!
It was impossible not to take the Strawberry Salsa and Dandelion Green & Carrot Top Pesto home with me!
I had told her all about Yummy Hummy, another booth that impressed me last year. We sadly arrived too late to get the carrot & ginger hummus we’d heard would be offered (of course, it was sold out!) but there were still some unique products left that I snatched immediately – strawberry salsa and dandelion green & carrot top pesto!
Heather called this the best hummus she’s ever had – says a lot coming from someone who considers it a food group.
Heather purchased some hummus and swooned over it. Yummy Hummy is a great, humble company and they make so many unique hummus flavors! Others that I hope to find at a farmers’ market to purchase someday: spicy sesame, lemon cilantro, summer squash & curry, beets & scallions, pumpkin spice, acorn squash & black pepper, and MOJITO!
PICKLE PARTY.
Last season I purchased dill pickle chips from Christine’s Country Kitchen, so I knew I wanted to try to get different selections this time around. Plus I’ve only grown MORE adventurous with food in the last year, so it makes sense that I ended up expanding outside of my pickled horizons. Of course I selected a jar of garlic pickles first, but I followed it up with sugar-free pickled beets and sweet & spicy mustard! I’ve been rocking the pickles and beets in my salads…I still don’t think I enjoy eating beets alone, but am now at the point that I’m loving them in my salads. I’m a mustard fanatic and sampled many at this booth, but ended up choosing the sweet & spicy.
The most touching moment of the day came courtesy of Shayna B’s Gluten-Free Bakery. All their treats are also VEGAN, which was great news for Heather, who had not had the best of luck at the farmers’ market finding baked goods or any breads that fit the vegan bill.
Quinoa, bunt cakes, and strawberry tarts.
We started chatting with the owner and she was so kind and appreciative of our passion and desire for healthy, natural, wholesome food. We each received a sample of the Wendy Bites, in the bottom row of the picture below, made with fantastic vegan and gluten-free-friendly ingredients like garbanzo bean flour. A nut-free version without the almonds was even available, though I have to admit the bites I had with the almonds were the best ones đ Heather decided to buy a package of Wendy Bites, and when we came up 50 cents short, they let us purchase the Wendies anyway! We couldn’t believe how kind the folks of Shayna B’s were and could tell that they really, really just wanted their treats to reach as many happy people as possible.
Fresh vegan and gluten-free granola and Wendy’s Bites.
After visiting Shayna’s we decided we’d spent enough of our life savings for one day. My bag sure was heavy!
SOOO much loot. Shoulder raisin’ it!
On our way back to the car we remembered that there were BABY ANIMALS at the market that day! We passed them at the entrance and stopped for some playtime.
Making the same face as this llama, inadvertently.
The kind of picture that could get me on a most wanted list.
Self-taken Caitlin and a llama photo fail.
I wanted to take him home with me!
Just a goat on a leash!
He kept trying to eat my shorts!
He really wanted to eat my Forever21 rose ring!
A little more success taking self-taken photos with the goat.
See, I’ve been known to rock the poses with farm animals before. Behold, my last trip to the Central Park Petting Zoo…
Come on alpaca, didn’t you get the kissy face memo?
Photo-bombing this sheep pic.
After I was done making a fool of myself, we walked back to the car and went to West Hartford’s quaint Blueback Square, another CT gem I wanted Heather to visit, to meet up with our girl Jenny. I met her through Heather and am so grateful – she rocks and we’ve already become fast friends.
We snagged iced tea from the Green Tea House and took it outside to enjoy the last rays of sunshine before the impending downpour.
The blend I selected – not as good as the Banana Split/Monkey’s Chocolate combo from last time!
So fabulous to chat and sip with these girls. Great end to the day – actually, the day ended with Heather and I literally jumping into my car and closing the sunroof right as the downpour began, but you know. Good friends, good timing.
Babes in Blueback.
After Heather (sadly) departed, I laid out my farmers’ market finds and immediately started planning how I’d incorporate some into that evening’s dinner.
I topped a leftover salmon burger with the strawberry salsa, and my mom roasted up the zucchini and squash (I got a ton for just $3.50). OMG! An amazing, amazing meal. I was in heaven the whole time.
Capped off with a glass of rioja. Also had a turkey burger and beans.
What’s the best find you’ve gotten at a farmers’ market?
Farm animals…love ’em or hate ’em?
There have been some good things up on the blog lately…maybe I’m tooting my own horn, but I think the posts below are worth a read, so head back in time (do-do-do-do-DO-dodododo…Pitbull anyone? Heather?) if you get a chance and check them out:
I have a buttload (like a J-Lo or Kim K size) of pictures to share. As the weather gets warmer, my camera does too with all the action it gets. I want to wordlessly-post photos from the too many few shopping ventures I’ve had as of late, and then follow that up with a fun and fit GIVEAWAY!
But first, let me show you my lovely purchases…
H&M top and dress, American Eagle jeans (inspired by Olivia to purchase!)
H&M cover-up and tunic
Nordstrom Rack Neutrogena hair treatment (of course I haven’t touched it since purchasing…) and shades, and H&M coin purse (inspired by J, queen of mustard yellow!)
Sad amount of Bath & Body Works mini candles and a silver holder
Nordstrom Rack top and shorts
It was my first visit to the Nordstrom Rack that just opened near me and clearly I was impressed. My wallet wasn’t…I haven’t been back since for my own financial health!
What do you think of my purchases? Do you have a store near you that’s an absolute DANGER zone for your wallet?
COLOR ME RAD 5K GIVEAWAY!
You may have seen my best-blend Heather’s latest giveaway, or Janine’s. But in case you didn’t, let me tell you a bit about the Color Me Rad 5K. I was anxious to participate the second I saw a Groupon come out for the Hartford race, which took place over Memorial Day Weekend (check out Kelly’s recap here). Since I was away at a good friend’s graduation, I didn’t get to run at that particular location. Luckily there’s another race fairly close to me in Boston this July!  I will be running on Team FitFluential with other Ambassadors like Janine, Mattie, Heather (and her boyfriend Matty – how cute is that?), and Amy.
Date is actually 7/15 – Twitter faux paus!
This is a 5K during which, at different color stations, participants are coated in colored corn starch! AKA a race that anyone, even those that don’t really like running that much (MOI!), can enjoy. Just take a look at the Color Me Rad FAQ and you’ll see after reading a few of the “A’s” that these are just race organizers that are out to make people smile and spread FUN. No one is expected to take this seriously – unless you want to be the most COLORFUL finisher!
Check out this video for a live-action demo đ
The folks of Color Me Rad have been kind enough to continue to spread their mission via a GIVEAWAY for Cait Plus Ate readers! I am giving away two race entries to two people. If you’re not sure whether or not there’s a Color Me Rad race coming to a town near you, check out their race locations!
This giveaway ends Sunday, 6/10/12 at 11:59PM EST. Entering is easy, but make sure you write a comment for each method of entry so that they are all counted when I randomly select the winners!
GOOD LUCK to my fun-loving contestants!
I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!
