"The Last Day"

Hello everyone and Happy Memorial Day!!!!!!  Today also marks the last day of May and the end of National Strawberry Month.  Hope you have all been enjoying your long weekend - hopefully filled with barbecues, family and friends.  Since Thursday I have delivered four babies but thankfully i have had a few moments to relax and enjoy the nice weather.

     Yes today marks the last day of National Strawberry Month - i finally was able to enjoy freshly picked strawberries from a local farm this weekend that were absolutely spectacular.  Strawberry picking is one of my favorite things about summer.  Walking through the field and seeing these splendid little fruits bursting with flavor is one activity i will never tire of.  I can remember as a child sitting in the middle of the field consuming more berries than actually ended up in my tiny basket.  I would have eaten so many berries that my fingers were stained red and i would have strawberry juice all over my shirt.  To this day i still sneak a few into my mouth while picking one of my favorite fruits.  

Here is a picture of some of my gems that I have been consuming way too much of!!

Some interesting strawberry facts:

1. Strawberries are the only fruit with their seeds located on the outside

2. These are the first fruit to ripen in the spring

3. In Belgium there is a museum entirely dedicated

 to strawberries (really!!)

4.  Strawberries are actually a member of the rose family

5. Strawberries are grown in every single state in the US and provinces of Canada

6. Americans eat 3.4 pounds of strawberries each year.

Remember the 1980's craze of the Strawberry Shortcake doll and her friends!!!!

Some great ways to use these super fruits:

1. delicious paired with greek yogurt, agave nectar and flax seed

2. a perfect addition to any smoothie 

3. with overripe berries i simply place them on my stove and reduce them with sugar to make homemade preserves - perfect to top whole wheat toast 

4. strawberry muffins

5. love adding fresh strawberries to spinach salads

The possibilities are endless!!!

Simply put - i love strawberries - so i hope wherever you live you are able to enjoy them before the season is over!!!!!

Since today is Memorial Day - it kicks off the official start to summer - the barbecue season.  Many of you will be attending barbecues with family and friends.  I do love barbecuing and one of my favorite things recently is to make homemade black bean burgers.  In the past i have had the pleasure of eating Amy's Bistro Burgers - while these are my favorite "frozen" burgers i was tempted to try and make my own.  By combining a few recipes that I had read in the past and having many cans of black beans in my pantry that needed to be consumed i figured - why not!

The result????    I loved them - now i know that having frozen burgers in the freezer are always a great meal when you are pressed for time but trust me - try these - you will not be disappointed and you can freeze them as well.

 I plan on making them tonight so i will snap a picture of the final product but here's the "rough" recipe ( i say "rough" because i really don't measure my spices)

For one burger:

   1/3 cup rinsed black beans

   1 tablespoon of whole - wheat flour  (could use oatmeal if preferred)

   1/4 of large zucchini and red pepper finely shreddded

   chopped onion (as much or as little as desired)

   cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder

Basically take the beans and with the back side of fork mash half of them and leave the rest whole, combine all ingredients and form into patty.  Place in refrigerator and let it get cold before grilling.  You can either cook in pan on stove, barbecue or place in oven on broil for approximately 20 minutes.  Spray the burger with olive oil spray prior to cooking so it develops a nice crust on the outside.

I served mine in a mini whole wheat pita topped with Annies mustard, ketchup, roasted red peppers, lettuce and tomato but feel free to try and toppings.   Enjoy!!!

       Trying all of these new recipes has been really helping me on my road to recovery.  I am slowly starting to realize that food is meant to be enjoyed - life is too short to deny ourselves of things that we truly enjoy.  When i try new recipes i get excited about food again - something that i haven't felt in quite a while.  Although it isn't always easy i am trying at least once a week to try an get out of my usual "food ruts" and try new and exciting things.  I want to thank all of you and all of the blogs i read because you all inspire me to keep going even when things are tough!!!  I wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day!!!  xoxo aimee

"A New Love"

I've been a bad blogger - haven't posted in quite a while and actually i've really missed it!!  Time is just passing so quickly - I feel there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done  - does anyone else feel like this????  

       Now usually I like most of my posts to be upbeat and encouraging but this week while doing my grocery shopping at my local Whole Foods I had quite an upsetting encounter with a woman i never even met.  Ok - heres what happened - I was in the cereal isle glancing at the various types of granola (my favorite being Galaxy Granola) for my beloved yogurt messes when behind me i heard a loud and obnoxious voice of an older woman yelling at her husband.  As i glanced up to see what all of the commotion was about the woman looked at me and in quite a loud voice exclaimed "You are SO thin - I want to be like you - what exactly do you eat?"  Now I know that i am thin and am aware that many are able to tell that I struggle with an eating disorder but would you ever tell a random stranger this and make such a comment to someone????  Then she had the nerve to pick up different bags of granola and comment on how much fat was in each bag!!!!!  Well I was just mortified at how some people can be so rude.  Well just to let you all know i didn't let this nasty episode just pass without me commenting on exactly how I felt towards this complete stranger.  After her first comment I proceeded to say - "Excuse me - why do you feel it necessary to comment on my weight when you don't even know

 me???  Don't you find that to be quite inappropriate???"  Now in the past I just would have remained silent and said nothing but over the past few months I have learned to speak up - to say to others exactly what I am feeling - even if that means its not what others want to hear.  

Has this ever happened to any of you and how have you handled situations like this???

Well onto more interesting things.  This week while shopping I stumbled across a new store in my local mall called "Teavana"  The name Teavana means a "heaven of tea" - meaning that they sell healthy high quality teas in a variety of flavors.  Now usually I am a coffee drinker - in the  enjoy i thoroughly enjoy a freshly brewed cup of Green Mountain Breakfast Blend coffee while perusiing the web.  I have always been a coffee drinker but recently my love for tea has been heightened.  As i entered the store I was overtaken by the aroma of freshly brewed strawberry lemonade tea. 

 It was exquisite!!!!  Just the right amount of lemon flavor combined with one of my favorite fruits - strawberries.   I highly suggest yu check out their website - it has a huge selection of tea leaves - ranging from herbal, black, green and ice tea blends.  There were so many to choose from i had to get a little bit of everything!!!! (pictures from Teavana on facebook)

I loved the strawberry lemonade - makes a wonderful iced tea, perfect for summertime!!!

Well I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and a great week!!!!!!!

xoxo aimee

What are you Dreaming of????

"To dream anything that you want to dream.  That is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do.  That is the strength of the human will.  To trust yourself and test your limits.  That is the courage to succeed.    - Bernard Edmones

I'm dreaming of:

Carefree summer days - reading in a hammock enjoying the sunshine

Walking barefoot in a field of grass

Soaking up the sunshine like my favorite flower

Cooking freshly picked fruits and veggies from a farmers market

Being carefree and worryfree - Enjoying my life!!!

Images from freestudiophotos.com

                                                    What are you dreaming of??????

I hope you are all able to take time today and make a list of your dreams , aspirations and hopes for the future.  All too often we get hung up on daily routines that we forget about what really matters, what really makes us truly happy and what is important in our loves.  Take time today to do something for YOU!!!!!  Love to all - xoxo aimee

HAPPY MAY!!!!!

     Hi there and Happy May!!!!!! I can't believe its already May - it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Christmas and trying to get through these cold winter months.  The weather here in New York has been nothing short of spectacular - the sun was shining bright yesterday and we hit record temps into the middle 80's - quite rare in early May!!!!  But im definately not complaining - i love the warm weather. 

In terms of my journey towards recovery i always seem to do better during the spring and summer months - my mood always seems to be more positive, i am more motivated and usually am more determined.  Not only does the weather play a role in my mood but also the availability of all of the local, homegrown fruits and veggies that are available this time of year.  One of my favorite thing to do in the summer months is to visit the local farms and buy homegrown produce or even pick-your own!!!  I know this is not the case with many of you - i have read in other blogs that some tend to do wo

rse in the warmer months.  I am curious about all of your thoughts on this and how the weather or seasons affect your Ed.  

A random fact I discovered this morning as I was surfing the web - guess what this week is???    Believe it or not - May 1-7th is National Raisin Week - i found this to be interesting - why May 1-7th???  I have no idea but I do like these tasty treats.  Raisins are basically dehydrated grapes.  Although tiny these tasty treats are nutritional powerhouses!!!!   Raisins are filled with antioxidants, fiber and a good source of potassium.  When you are looking for a quick pick-me up raisins are a great choice.

What can you do with raisins???? The possibilities are endless.  They can be added to oatmeal, yogurt and cereal, added to your favorite baking recipe for moistness as well as a natural sweetner,  a wonderful addition to rice, couscous or quinoa or even to fresh summer salads!!!!  They are even delicious right out of the bag!!!  What are your favorite ways to eat these delicious snacks???

 I love raisins as an addition to my oatmeal or yogurt but I also love them in baking - heres a recipe for delicious moist Pumpkin Raisin Muffins - enjoy!!!!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup brown sugar or raw sugar or any other sweetener you prefer - i have used stevia with good results

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup almond milk or you could use unsweetened applesauce (ive used both)

1 cup pumpkin puree 

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl mix all of the dry ingredients thoroughly.  In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients and then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Finally add the raisins.  Line a muffin pan with inserts or lightly spray with non-stick spray.  Fill - makes 6 large or 12 medium sized muffins - bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful relaxing Sunday!!!! By the way May is also National Strawberry Month - ill definately be posting about one of my favorite fruits!!!!!   xo aimee