The incredible expanding palette

Posted by : Tyler on 1:22 AM | 4 Comments

I love pretty much all real foods. I say "real foods" because, while will eat almost any fruit or veggie, you couldn't pay me to eat a fast food hamburger. I love trying new and different foods, but this is actually I very recent interest. I guess I am a beginner foodie.

When I was 17, I was a picky eater: the only fruits I would eat were green apples and grapes (not the red ones, eww), the only fish I liked was salmon, and there were many veggies I avoided. In college, I became a lot more open minded very quickly. Some keyfood revelations: 
  •  I learned to love the salad bar and the vegetarian line in the dining hall, which actually had a great variety of fresh vegetables. Spinach, asparagus, squash, zucchini, etc.
  • I learned to like strawberries on Sunday mornings when the dining hall would have a chocolate fountain! Yes, every Sunday, a chocolate fountain. So I started dipping strawberries in the chocolate and eventually ventured to *gasp* eating them plain! 
  • I learned that the triple berry smoothie in the dining hall was so delicious! I can't believe I went so long without eating berries...now they are my favorite.
  • I learned that red grapes actually taste a lot like green green grapes. I also discoveredblack grapes :)
  • I tried other types of fish and loved them. I also briefly worked at a sushi restaurant and discovered my love for raw fish!
  • I tried a real sweet potato (aka not cooked with butter and cream and covered in marshmallows) for the first time in the dining hall and then ate one every day for my first two years of college.
  • I tried a balsamic marinated portabella mushroom and instantly became a mushroom lover!
  • Tofu!! It just needs to be cooked and flavored correctly. My personal tofu cooking experiences have been disastrous, but there is a vegetarian restaurant in Athens called the Grit that does it perfectly. Their best dishes (according to me) are the teriyaki tofu wrap and the curried veggies with sauteed tofu. Yum, yum, yum. 
  • Green apples are still my favorite. Especially with cinnamon and almond butter.
Always delicious!

There are still some foods that I just can't make myself like:
  • I hate peanut butter, peanuts, and anything that has touched I peanut. I don't know why I have such a strong aversion to this taste. The smell used to make me feel nauseous. While the smell doesn't affect me as much anymore, I still can't eat it. However I love all other nuts (almonds and pecans are my favorite).
  • Tuna from a can is nasty, but seared ahi tuna is amazing! I can't believe these things come from the same fish...
  • Peaches. I'm from Georgia, so this is terrible, but I really just don't like them at all.
  • I have trouble eating a banana by itself. I've sort of been forcing myself to like bananas because they are such a good pre workout food! They are useful in smoothies. I do enjoy them in oatmeal or with almond butter (or both!). They are also good warm with cinnamon :)
  • Oranges. I wish I liked them, but I don't.
  • Olives. Black or green. Bleh.
  • Anything too spicy. I can't taste my food if my mouth is on fire!!
Oh, shoot. I stayed up too late. This is more addicting than facebook. I'm off to bed, but first a random quote and a question:

Random Quote:
"You can tell a lot about a fella's character by whether he picks out all of one color or just grabs a handful." Ronald Reagan explaining why he like to have a jar of jellybeans at important meetings

Question: Would a true foodie pick out one color of jelly beans or just grab a handful?

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Life is Good

Posted by : Tyler on 11:45 AM | 4 Comments

School is back in full swing now. The classes I'm taking this semester are: Medical Nutrition Therapy, Public Health Dietetics, Foodservice Management, and Dietetic Practice and Support. They all seem pretty interesting so far. The first chapter we are doing in Nutrition Therapy is sports nutrition (my favorite topic!).


Interesting fact I learned today: "Fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate," meaning that you cannot burn fat without glucose in the body. The end product of glycolysis (glucose metabolism) is required in the reaction that burns fat. That is what cause people to "hit the wall" during a marathons. Even if your body has plenty of fat stores, you can't use them after you run out of glucose (carbohydrate). 

Also, the first triathlon club practice of the season was last night! It was fun seeing everybody again. UGA Triathlon Club is a great group of kids to work out with. Mondays are swim nights, and it felt awesome to get a good swim workout in after not having access to a pool over winter break.

Last night's workout:
  • Warm-up: 300 meters
  • 4 x 50 kick
  • 2 x 100 pull
  • Main Set: 5 x 200 meters @ 70% effort
  • Cool Down: 3 x 100 meters (kick, pull, swim)
After practice, I had a Publix Carmel Creme non-fat yogurt for snack, which is now my new favorite flavor! Tastes like dulce de leche ice cream. Highly recommended :)

This morning when I was running out the door to class, I found a box of chocolates and a note outside of our door! Apparently, we have a secret admirer. Check it out:

Box of chocolate :)

The note: "To the Beautiful Ladies of 305- I hope these chocolates are as sweet as you!" Haha.

Yum!! These won't last long in our apartment. We love chocolate! And chocolate is definitely the way to a girl's heart. Nice job, mystery boy! 

I was starving by lunch today (despite a hearty oatmeal and cranberry breakfast), and I came up with a delicious wrap of warm black beans with cumin, steamed butternut squash, avocado, and spinach! (And salsa on the side.) It was a great combo. The picture had terrible lighting, so that's why I'm not posting it...sorry. But it was tasty! Really hit the spot :)

I went running with the triathlon club this afternoon. We ran trails for about 45 minutes. The pace was a little faster that I thought I wanted to go, but I kept up and felt great afterwards! 

Found this quote today that inspired me:

"Believe you can do it. Think no other way but 'Yes you can.' The human body is capable of considerably more endurance than most of us realize." Paul Reese

When I got home from running, I had a strange craving for red meat. I hardly ever eat red meat, so this is weird. We didn't have any at the apartment, and I didn't feel like going back out because it was cold, so I made this:

Chicken, red peppers, green beans, pasta, and mozzarella cheese. It was tasty, except that the pasta was extremely al dente (a.k.a. definitely not cooked all the way...) because I got hungry and impatient, lol.

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Salmon with Pineapple Salsa and Asparagus

Posted by : Tyler on 4:32 PM | 3 Comments


My camera cord came in the mail today!!!! Now I can finally upload pictures again :)


One of my roommates and I went to Publix last night to get ingredients for dinner. Everday, Publix puts out recipe cards, and today they the recipe was Pineapple Salsa Salmon and Rice with Asparagus Tips! We immediately decided that this is what we had to make!!

First we made the pineapple salsa. We used:
  • 1 8 oz. can of pineapple chunks
  • 1 cup salsa (the fresh refrigerated kind is best)
  • 1 tbsp honey mustard
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp prepared horseradish (this gives it a huge kick!)

This is the salsa that we bought. It was so fresh and delicious!!

Then we pan seared the salmon fillets on each side:


Then added pineapple salsa, covered, and reduced heat.


I completely disregarded the recipe's instructions to cook the asparagus in the microwave with garlic butter and chose to do asparagus my favorite way: broiled in the oven with olive oil and kosher salt.

I burned my tongue multiple times eating these hot out of the oven. It was worth it :)

We also bought a Steamfresh frozen bag of brown rice. Heats up in the microwave in 4 1/2 minutes. Awesome!

Ta da!! The finished product. This was sooo delicious! And I think ours looks better than the picture on the recipe card :)

My roommate's boyfriend is trying to eat healthier, so I sent her over to his place with a portion of this dinner with a note about why everything that he was about to eat is healthy for him! This is what I wrote:
  • Salmon- good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your brain
  • Salsa- tomatoes have vitamin C and lycopene, which helps prevent cancers
  • Pineapple- Vitamin C
  • Brown rice- fiber to keep you full and have a healthy digestive system
  • Asparagus- fiber, protein, and lots of vitamins and minerals!
Most of these were off the top of my head, but I looked up asparagus because I didn't know exactly what vitamins were in it. It's a good source of pretty much all vitamins, but I was surprised to find that asparagus also has a significant amount of protein! Did anybody else know this???

For fun, I just looked up pineapple and found out that from this site that it also has micronutrients and chemicals that break up blood clots, stimulate the kidneys to help with removing toxins, and reduce inflammation. So I think I will start eating more pineapple!

For a healthy dessert, I also made my roomie take over some berries, whipped cream, and cinnamon. The reviews?? Her boyfriend loved it!!! He also said it was the best asparagus he'd ever had. I also got a marriage proposal from his roommate!

At Publix, they also had one of the best ice creams in the world in stock: Chocolate Trinity ice cream!! We discovered this ice cream last year, but recently Publix has been advertising this flavor, so we stopped seeing it in stock! But they had it last night, so this is what I had for dessert! And my other roommate (I live with 4 people, this might get confusing...) got home from work and enjoyed some as well.

 This is a face of pure bliss. Her teeth are normally pearly white, but they are covered in delicious chocolate :)

More thoughts on the ice cream issue...A couple posts back, I talked about this fat free ice cream that I tried, but I was uncomfortable with the fact that most of the ingredients did not resemble real foods. Most commenters seemed to agree that small portions of real ice cream is the best, which is of course the correct answer, but the problem is that eating small portions of ice cream is nearly impossible for me. Serving size is 1/2 cup...that is tiny! I've measured it before. It's not enough. I went back and ate out of the carton (this always tastes so much better than from a bowl for some reason...) I am very good at portion control with most foods, but I like to eat a lot of ice cream. On average, I would say I eat about 1 1/2 cups of ice cream in one sitting. Fat-free ice cream has 100 calories in a serving, and Chocolate Trinity has 200 calories in a serving, so my serving of fat-free would be 300 calories while my serving of the good stuff would be 600 calories!! This is usually more calories than I consume at dinner. I don't have a huge appetite, but I can put away some ice cream! Solution: I really shouldn't eat ice cream everyday...I need a support group, lol

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Happy Tastebuds

Posted by : Tyler on 1:49 PM | 6 Comments

So I still don't have my camera cord back, but I just realized I have so many old pictures of food I can talk about! As I explained in my first post, I've had a habit of taking pictures of my food for a while.


One of my favorite restaurants in Athens in the 5 and 10. It's owned by a well renowned chef who creates their incredibly delicious, seasonally changing menu. The restaurant has a very good relationship with local farmers, so the food is always as fresh and high quality. They also have an extensive wine list. Sorta of a pricey, so you need a special occasion to go there. Here are some mouth-watering pics from my 21st birthday dinner in September:

The bread before dinner.

The grouper special with potatoes, hericot verts, fresh cucumber, basil, and brown butter vinaigrette. Tastes even better than it sounds! 

Cheers to good food and friends!

I didn't get I chance to take a picture of the dessert before we dove in. I don't remember exactly what it was, but I do remember that it involved chocolate mousse and toffee...

My roommate and I are making salmon with pineapple salsa for dinner! It looks wonderful, so look forward to those pics (and recipe) soon!!

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Things to do before I die

Posted by : Tyler on 6:24 PM | 2 Comments

A long time ago, I made a list of "things to do before I'm 25," which I have since revised to "things to do before I die" when I realized that turning 25 does not mean that you are too old to do fun and crazy things. One goal I keep putting on and taking off the list is to run a marathon. I love half-marathons, but the marathon intimidates me. To state the obvious, 26.2 miles is a really long way to run!  And I don't think it's healthy for your body either. That's a lot of mileage and a lot of stress on your joints.  I thought that maybe I could replace doing a triathlon with my marathon goal, but after doing a few triathlons, I still can't get the dream of running a marathon out of my head. Recently I was very inspired by this video. She had 6 kids, and she ran a marathon!! I have no excuse!


So the Rock and Roll San Diego Marathon is May 31, 2009. This is perfect timing because if I start training in a couple weeks, then I have plenty of time to do a Runner's World training plan. I just need to find someone willing to go across the country and run 26.2 miles with me...

I do have some exciting upcoming races that I can definitely do!
  1. Nachez Trace Triathlon 3/22/09- I'm a little worried about the water being cold since this is in March, but I'll wear a wet suit and survive the coldness. This is one that UGA Triathlon Club is doing, so I will go with them.
  2. ING Georgia Half Marathon 3/29/09- Because I love half-marathons, and I've never done this one before. It goes through downtown Atlanta and some historic neighborhoods.
  3. Country Music Half Marathon 4/25/09- I did this one last year with my mom and my sister. It's a great race!
  4. Memphis in May 5/16-5/17- Also a triathlon I'll do with the club. This one sounds fun! It's part of a big month long celebration in Memphis. After the race they have barbeque, music, and prizes :)

This is a picture of me finishing my first triathlon. I love this pic despite the fact that it is the scariest I have ever seen my face! Even though I look like I might vomit, I am experiencing an incredible adrenaline and endorphins rush (aka runner's high)! Running is by far my best leg of the triathlon. If anyone has tips on marathon training, I'd love to hear them!

"It's not about speed and gold medals. It's about refusing to be stopped." Amby Burfoot

Other things on my list to do before I die include more traveling (Asia, Africa, South America), sky diving, although I did jump off a cliff in Switzerland, which is just as scary:

180 ft canyon jump in the Alps = pure exhilaration!!

I'm working on expanding my list of things to do before I die to include foods I must try at least once. Recently I checked swordfish off this list (see Dec. 29 post), but I still need to try truffles (mushrooms, not chocolate) and caviar (probably over-rated, but need to try once). I also want to try more exotic fruits and gourmet cheeses. I'm more hesitant to try different meats...venison and duck are probably the most adventurous meats I've tried, but I think I would like to try rabbit. That's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure there are more foods that I should experience in my lifetime.

What foods do you want to try at least once before you die?

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Squash and Arugula and Curry...oh my!

Posted by : Tyler on 7:27 PM | 6 Comments

As much as I love browsing recipes and looking at meal ideas, I never ever plan out my meals. I enjoy being a spontaneous grocery shopper. I just go to the store, without a plan or a list, and just buy whatever looks good! I tend to crave healthy foods, so I never come home with a bunch of junk...just a really random assortment of wonderful foods. But sometimes when my fridge is seemingly stocked, I feel like I have nothing to eat! It can be hard to find foods that work together as a meal. 


Breakfast is easy...usually cereal, toast, oatmeal, yogurt, or maybe even eggs. Lunch tends to be between classes, so I often pack a sandwich (my favorite= turkey and pesto). But dinner is more of a challenge...I try not to just repeat lunch and get creative with what I have. It always turns out interesting. Sometimes weird, sometimes surprisingly delicious. Tonight was definitely one of my best random creations: curry butternut squash and arugula salad!

One reason why I chose butternut squash and arugula tonight is because they are both good sources of vitamin C. I had a terrible sore throat waking up this morning, and I can't stand getting sick! I'm not really convinced that extra vitamin C in your diet helps your immune system (although deficiency would certainly impair it), but some people swear it does. I'm not into supplements but getting some extra vitamin C from some really healthy veggies definitely can't hurt! 

I really wish I could post a pic, but still no camera cord, so use your imagination!!
I steamed some butternut squash then mixed it with a big handful of arugula, drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt, some curry, and a bit of dried fruit (cranberries and golden raisins). This was sooo good, and it took about 3 minutes to make! Ate some crackers and hummus with it. Yum!

Since there is no visual, here is some verbal food porn: Big chucks of succulent squash surrounded by delicate arugula leaves with bursts of red from the cranberries and golden raisins subtly lingering in the crevices....mmmm....oh yes!! 

Hope that was almost as good as a picture :)

Also, I have lots of arugula left, and I need to eat it before it goes bad. Any suggestions?

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Forgot my camera cord....

Posted by : Tyler on 5:06 PM | 1 Comments

I am back in Athens for the semester, and I realized I left my camera cord at home! I took some yummy food pics I am excited about, but that will have to wait until I get my cord back (Mom is mailing it, thank you!). 


I went on a Trader Joe's shopping spree before coming back (there is no Trader Joe's here) and found some really great things! 

Items I am most excited about:
  • Frozen steel cut oatmeal- heats up in 2 minutes!
  • Big bag of wild arugula- can't wait to make a good salad
  • Sun-dried tomato hummus- this stuff is incredible!
  • Pomegranate seeds
  • Pre-made salad with roasted veggies and chicken
  • Ezekiel bread- never tried this before, but it looks good and really healthy!
  • Whole grain and flax tortillas
  • Red, yellow, orange bell peppers
  • Lots of beans- cannellini, garbanzo, black beans
  • Indian carrot lentil soup- new item :)
  • Greek yogurt - I want to try this with the pomegranate seeds
  • Brown rice fusilli- pasta made from brown rice...cool!
  • Pre-cut butternut squash- because butternut squash is delicious, and I am lazy
After I get my camera cord back, I will post a picture of my delicious lunch I made from some of my Trader Joe's finds. But for now, check out this enlightening blog post from Casual Kitchen called "41 Ways You Can Help the Environment from your Kitchen." Here are a few things I learned/ my favorite tips from the post.

"Keep the oven door closed": So no peaking at cookies (or blondies). I need to work on this.

"Never turn on hot water for brief use and use cold water for almost all of your kitchen tasks": When you run the hot water tap, most of the water you heated up never makes it out of the faucet, it just cools back down in the pipes, wasting energy that you paid for. This makes a lot of sense but is something I've never thought about before. Casual Kitchen blogger says he only uses hot water to wash dishes that have come in contact with meat.

"Eat more local foods": This summer, Athens, GA got a farmer's market where local farmers would bring there fresh produce every Saturday. The difference in taste of a tomato that was picked ripe yesterday then one you buy in the grocery store is indescribable....you have to try it! And when your food doesn't have to travel far, it reduced gas emissions. There are too many reasons to list right now about why eating local is good for you and the environment. Here in Athens, I started volunteering for an organization called PLACE (Promoting Local Agriculture and Cultural Experiences) that started up the farmer's market, I have learned a lot about sustainable agriculture, but that will have to be whole different post... 

"Adopt part-time vegetarianism": I am by no means a vegetarian. I eat everything, but I try to eat mainly fruits, veggies, nuts, and legumes because it is healthier for me and the environment. I got a book for Christmas called the Flexitarian Diet, which pretty much describes the way I eat. It is a diet rich in plant products but flexible enough to include animal products occasionally.

"Invite neighbors or friends over instead of going out to eat": Dinner parties are way more fun than going to a restaurant! Offer to cook a main dish at your home, and get each friend to bring either an appetizer, a dessert, or wine, and Voila! You just saved money and energy costs of you all driving to a restaurant! 

P.S.- Life is about to get crazy with school, new job, and triathlon training. Eating good food is a priority of mine, so I will try to share my eats with you as much as possible! I have fun posting on this, and I hope you all enjoy reading!

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