Friday, March 12, 2010 at 11:07 PM

Fab Friday

Hello! :mrgreen:

Sorry for the lack of a mid-day post. Lunch wasn’t anything special, and I spent all morning working on my book. Neither of which were very exciting. :-?

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After lunch, I headed over to Cambridge to attend an event called “For the Health of It,” which was a seminar and Yukon River Salmon tasting, sponsored by Oldways.

Oldways is a Boston-based, non-profit organization that “promotes healthy eating based upon regional diet pyramids.” Food enthusiast and advocate K. Dun Gifford started Oldways to combat the rising prevalence of “pseudo foods” on the market and the chronic diseases related to poor eating habits. I can’t wait to learn more about this wonderful organization.

“For the Health of It” was held at the fancy-schmancy Harvard Faculty Club.

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The event celebrated the unique health benefits of Yukon River salmon, and we heard from one of the world’s leading experts on omega-3s, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian from the Harvard School of Public Health. We also got to meet a couple of the Yupik fishing families, whose traditions date back 10,000 years.

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The event started with some mingling and a wonderful spread of smoked salmon appetizers.

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I dug right in and tried a bite of everything, but I was so busy chatting away, I never snapped a photo. It actually never crossed my mind! :oops:

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After enjoying the smoked salmon, I grabbed a cup of coffee for a little afternoon pick-me-up.

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Harvard has some tasty coffee!

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The main event kicked-off with a fascinating lecture from Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH about what consumers need to know about seafood, omega-3’s, and health. Dr. Mozaffarian said a lot of interesting things, including:

  • Eating 1-2 servings of fish per week significantly reduces your risk of coronary heart disease
  • Salmon has the highest omega-3 content of seafoods; it has 5.2 g compared to 0.3 g in canned tuna (per 100g serving)
  • Omega-3’s are extremely beneficial to the brain development of infants
  • One should avoid shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel since they have high levels of mercury

Next, we heard from Jack Schultheis, the Kwik’pak Fisheries General Manager. He explained that the company was formed to protect the fishery and its market to help benefit the community and its fisherman.

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Then, we enjoyed a live cooking demonstration from Jeff Tanner and Pete Doire of Legal Sea Foods. They prepared two salmon recipes on-site: Brown Bag Salmon and Salmon Ceviche– each of which will likely appear on the blog in the next few weeks. ;-)

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And, finally, we heard from Ellen and Humphrey Keyes and Matilda Oktoyuk about the traditional way of life in Emmonak, Alaska. They talked about their experiences with fishing and subsistence.

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After the main program, we enjoyed a reception (complete with champagne) and another salmon tasting.

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Bubbly on Friday afternoon? Yes, please! ;-)

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This time, we tasted the Yukon River Salmon, which was paired with a number of dipping sauces.

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I loaded my piece of salmon with Mango Cilantro Salsa.

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Delicious! :mrgreen:

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After the event, I met Mal at the Grendel’s Den for dinner.

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As soon as I sat down at the table, I ordered a Dead Guy beer.

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It totally hit the spot! I forgot how much I liked this beer! And, the best part: our server is a reader of CNC and hooked us up with a couple of complimentary beers! Thanks, Laurie! :mrgreen:

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Yay for Friday! :mrgreen:

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For dinner, I had the Alu Chole, which was a homestyle Indian stew of curried potato and chickpeas with pita bread on the side. It was so tasty and very filling. Good pick! :-D

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Mal and I didn’t want “date night” to end, so we headed over to Grafton Street in search of Bourbon County. We heard a rumor they had it on tap.

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And, the rumor was true!!! :mrgreen: Mal and I shared a glass of Bourbon County and continued to enjoy our evening together.

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On our commute home from Harvard Square, Mal got a craving for ice cream. I’m not one to object to a craving like that, so we stopped at the grocery store, where Edys was on sale 3 for $6.

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We really didn’t need 3 quarts of ice cream, but it’s not like ice cream goes bad, right?

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I have a feeling this ice cream is going to be trouble. :-?

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I had 2 bowls when I got home. Oh, boy! 8-O

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My bed is calling my name. Another busy weekend is ahead!

Good night!

Posted by: Tina 24 comments

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Friday, March 12, 2010 at 07:51 AM

Whirlwind on the Horizon

Happy Friday! :mrgreen:

I’m so glad that the work week is just about over, but the next few days are going to be a whirlwind for me! More on that in a minute. ;-)

Breakfast

I started my morning with a bowl of oat bran + oatmeal. I’m really lovin’ oat bran. It adds so much creaminess.

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In the mix:

  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup oat bran
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 scoops Nuttzo

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I topped my bowl with almonds and raisins.

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I also enjoyed a glass of iced coffee with hazelnut milk. Delish!

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Bertolli + Big Apple

So, I have some exciting news to share with you guys!

Bertolli is getting ready to launch a new series of webisodes titled “Into the Heart of Italy: Six Adventures, Three Celebrities, One Mission… To Unlock the Secrets of Italian Passion for Food and Life.” It’s an online series that will feature celebrity chef Rocco Dispirito and actors Marisa Tomei and Dan Cortese as they explore the food and culture of Italy. Here’s a little preview.

To kick-off the series, they’re hosting a media lunch and premiere in New York City next week with Rocco, Marisa, and Dan, and I have been invited to attend with 10 other bloggers! Ahhhh! So cool, right!?! Obviously, I am VERY excited! Be sure to stay tuned for my adventures from the Big Apple next week! :mrgreen:

I have a big day ahead:

  • Working from home
  • Book editing!!!
  • Conference call
  • Seminar and salmon tasting
  • Date night

And, I’m off! :-D

P.S. Check out my Deal of the Week! ;-)

Posted by: Tina 70 comments

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Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 08:03 PM

Ice Cream for Dinner

Hello! :-P

Mal and I just got back from a great Body Pump class. The instructor had so much energy and she incorporated all sorts of fun tracks into the workout. About half of the music was from BP 72 and the rest was from who knows what?!? A couple of them I had never done before. ”Love Shack” (for chest) was my favorite track of the night. I increased my weight by 5 pounds, so it was really hard, too, which was awesome!! I love getting stronger! ;-)

Snack

Before Body Pump, I snacked on a mini Larabar and a few Uncle Jerry’s pretzels.

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Dinner

After Body Pump, I wasn’t really hungry for a “real” dinner, so I made myself a double-batch of Almond Joy “Ice Cream.” This time, I added a tiny bit of vanilla extract and a spoonful of fat-free cream cheese for some extra creaminess. Mmmmm!

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Of course, this isn’t the healthiest dinner ever, but sometimes, you just need to eat ice cream for dinner. Plus, I’m sure my muscles appreciate the extra protein.

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Now, I’m craving something salty. I think some salt + vinegar chips are in my near future.

Enjoy the evening! :mrgreen:

Posted by: Tina 42 comments

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