Winners Make Changes

Change can be hard, but most of the time change is good, very good. This week on Guiltless we're talking about Changes. You can read my post about creating positive change here . I'm in the midst of moving, and I'm reminding myself that while this is a huge headache, it's all for a good change. I'm leaving my dark apartment with the tiniest, most awkward kitchen for a sunny apartment down the street with much more room for my culinary experiments. School starts on Thursday, and with this last semester, I'm gearing up for BIG changes. Of course, you will be kept informed.

So without further ado, the winner of the giveaway is..........

Cherloo who will finally be able to get her ice cream maker!

Thank you to Christine from CSN stores for the prize-a $60 gift certificate to any CSN Store! and to Random.org, who keeps me honest and fair :)

ok, I'm back to packing. Any changes in your life you'd care to share??

Guiltless Giveaway

What a better way to kick off Monday than with a Giveaway!

As an amateur home cook, and while a Dutch Oven has no place in my teeny tiny kitchen apartment, i like to dream about the spacious kitchen and all the gadget's I'll equip it with in the future. Christine from CSN stores offered to give 1 of my readers a $60 gift certificate, and I thought you would all enjoy that! The coupon will be valid at any of their stores, but www.Cookware.com looks especially appealing to me! Oh wait, I forgot that this giveaway is for YOU.

How to Enter:

Do one of the following and remember to comment back here, on this post, so I know you're entered! You have until August 30th to get your entries in!

1. Leave a comment here saying what you would buy with your $60 gift certificate

2. Leave a comment on a Guiltless post

3. Follow either me (@ellie88) or Guiltless (@iamguiltless) on twitter

4. Tweet this message: " Check out @ellie88 $60 Giveaway http://bit.ly/coNNiu! "

Steph and I are trying to spread the Guiltless love! We'd love to hear feedback from you, and your thoughts on food, weight, and body image! In fact, this week's topic is a "weight-y" one, and you can read my friend Thais's thoughts on it here!

ok, now get yourself entered in my giveaway! [and have a great monday too!]

Seaside Lovin

I am a fresh-water girl at heart, but am slowly learning to love the salty Atlantic. Being pummeled by waves is never my cup of tea, and sand can be irritating, but this week helped to warm a little place in my heart for the ocean. Besides,

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." -Neale Donald Walsch

My wonderful roommate invited me with her family to Nantucket, so I snuck away from Boston in between work, and got to relax in that soothing place.

Eats and Drinks

Mona Lupe" @ corazon del mar- blanco tequila, grilled pineapple, serrano chili, cilantro and agave

waitin in line for the ridiculous reservation system at Blackeyed Susans

but worth it for a front row seat to their entire dinner preparation.

They didn't have many vegetarian options, but the place smelled amazing, and I loved being so close to the chefs and watching their intricate dance.

A trip to Barlett Farms: Nantucket's original and only family owned organic farm

Cisco Brewery

Their Triple 8 vodka is quite delicious-they use local berries in their blueberry and cranberry flavors, and they are superb. All you need is a little soda water and the vodka just speaks for itself.

how would you like some gazpacho vodka??

Twitter Friends are Real Friends

before my crackberry crapped out, I saw Megan tweet that she was in Nantucket, and of course, we HAD to meet up!

I just love the internet world! you get to know so much about people's lives pre-meeting them, you're already guaranteed to "hit it off" We had a fun night out, and it was great to finally meet her!

Run!

I love running on the beach. I shrug off my shoes and just go. It's slower but you can definitely feel it the next day! A little extra toning never hurts. When I include the beach in my run I go by more of a "timing" method rather than logging miles.

It was great to have a couple days to relax and really unplug. As much as i adore the internet and social media, it's good to take a breather every once in a while. It may even make us smarter. There was a great article in the NYtimes about turning off your phone to increase productivity

It's a joy having foodie friends

I got off the ferry in Hyannis and was treated in an amazing dinner by Jessica.

She had just hit up the farmers market, and everything was fresh, simple and delicious.

love summer grilling

{she takes REAL photos-check out her post here}

Surfs up!

I just couldn't stay away from those ocean ways, so I convinced Julia to try out a surfing lesson with me in Marshfield, MA

hotties

don't let our smiles fool you. surfing is difficult. I DEFINITELY need more practice

We got coffee at MaryLous (so many flavors to choose from!!!) and had some girltalk

She just got back from an amazing trip to Italy so we talked about all of our favorite things: food, travel, and boys.

Twas a lovely week being seaside, relaxing with friends. Trying to catch all these last rays of summer before school starts (Sept 2nd-gasp!). Perhaps I'll stay land-locked this week, but who knows! The world is our playground, and comfort zones were meant to be pushed.

Have you ever met someone you only knew via blogging or twitter? I've done it a couple of times and only have positive things to say. I find it funny that's it's always kind of like a blind date.

Do you agree that it's good to "unplug" everyonce in awhile, and that it actually helps you get things done?

What has been your favorite memory of this summer??

Enjoy the weekend!

Local Options at Boston Restaurant week

Restaurant Week has hit Boston! August 15-20; and August 22-27 restaurants around town offer reduced price prix-fixe options and the Boston Local Food Festival has a great list of all the restaurants that will be sourcing local, sustainable ingredients in their menus! Using locally sourced food is important to me, and I applaud the efforts of the BLFF to spread their message. With better tasting food at stake, it's easy to convince most chefs to include more local vegetables, and fruits!

I love checking out the menus on the "Insider's Guide to Boston Restaurant Week" and seeing where I should hit up. I'm hopping to make it to Lunch or Dinner @ Masa,

Lunch at Tremont 647 , Dinner at Upstairs on the Sq, $1 tapas + drinks at Estragon and
L'espalier . But time, and $$ are always [slightly] limited, but a girl can hope and dream!

Last week Kara and I got together for a post-work drink at Henrietta's since we were both DYING to try their Seasonal Drink Menu Lucky us, they have been serving these all summer long, and not just during restaurant week. Kara was introduced to Huckleberry in a light lemonade, and I tasted Mead for the first time.

Mead is a honey wine, with origins obscured in the mists of time. It's considered by many to be the first alcoholic beverage created, predating both grape wine and beer.

I picked Blueberry Madness (Made with Fresh Maine Blueberries) which was wonderfully sweet! This Mead is made locally in Western Mass by Green River Ambrosia After exploring their website and facebook fanpage I now want to try all of the other varieties they offer!

I wanted to try their entire drink menu, so a return trip is definitely required. They have several local vodkas, beers, and wines, as well as drinks that benefit relief efforts in Haiti. Shamefully, I have not yet eaten here, but I just adore the decor, menu, and message

“Our goal at Henrietta’s is to deliver the freshest available food, through proper cooking techniques and excellent service,” says Executive Chef Peter Davis.

That's a goal I can get behind!

It was nice catching up with Kara and discussing life goals/paths. She's about to graduate from her Dietetic Internship, and watch out world, cause this RD is going to shake things up! She's one of my many role models, and just a lovely person!

Are you planning on participating in Restaurant week if you're in Boston? What do you think about prix fixe or locally sourced food in general?

Happy Monday I'm Nantucket-bound, and still not sure what the internet situation is... See you soon!

Glittery Love

A day late and a dollar short, but as promised, I'm here to announce the Winner of my Uncle Sam Giveaway, but first you'll have to wade through a sea of Glitter and Roadtrips.....

Glittertastic: I joined some of the fabulous people of CitySearch on a Disco Bar Crawl and the Donkey Show at the Oberon Theater. This play, set in the Studio 54, recreates Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night Dream in a 1970s club. It. Is. FANTASTIC. and if you haven't already been, go. now. Even if it's just to see some hotties covered in glitter, get your butt over there. And it happens every Friday and Saturday. No excuses.

Country Dreaming: Janel and I took a roadtrip up to visit Jess in Central Mass, and participate in the (in)famous chili cookoff. Little be knownst to us, apparently vegetarians aren't real people in rural Mass, and there wasn't a bean in sight. Oh well, we stocked up on the Salsa. Also- chili is a BIG Deal. Check out some of these "stands". All the "vendors" were very into their chili and competitive!

Where would you put the "hillbilly chili" stand the rest of the year?

we adore salsa!

.and then we rewound by the lake, gorgeous.

Wrapped up the day with an amazing farm-fresh dinner at Jess's House. My camera died, but Janel wrote about it in this post: A Food Filled Summer's Day.

Even though Dietetics may be one of the worst paying college degrees, my path has not wavered, because it's amazing RDs and people such as Jess and Janel that inspire me each and every day! I know that I will love what I do, and that passion is way more important than money!

ok, finally the Winner of my Uncle Sam Cereal Giveaway is......... Kerry! Random.org chose comment # 6 which belonged to, a Grad student in my program, who has her own food blog, with a never-ending supply of delicious recipes! Send me your address Kerry and I'll have a box shipped to you right away! Even if you didn't win, remember that you can still stalk the Boston Brekkie van around Boston!

One last thing........

[Nerd Alert]: Just the other day I was telling a friend I wanted a pen that could erase.

The gods at Sharpie apparently heard my plea and created the ultimate writing utensil. It is a pencil, pen and sharpie. all in one. Pure, and utter genius.

see it here.

Ok, I'm still about a week behind on recaps, but someday!!

Have a FANTASTIC weekend!!

The Perfect Diet

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." --Virginia Woolf

Read my thoughts on the Perfect Diet on Guiltless today!

Have a glorious Monday!

Uncle Sam is the Man

sam with unswtnd soy milk + bananas.

Uncle Sam is my main man right now. Even oatmeal has taken the back burner while I embrace my new love. Just look at these stats!

really, who doesn't want all day energy?

Ingredients: Rolled Wheat berries + flaxseed
10 g fiber
7 g protein
<>With a recipe that's over 100 years old, you'll make our friend Michael Pollan happy by eating what your grandmother would have eaten.

Want to give it a try? I'm giving away 1 free box of Uncle Sam Cerel to any US reader. Just leave me a comment on this post by next Friday (August 13th) when I'll draw a winner!

AND if you're in the Boston area-see if you can catch the Uncle Sam van as they hand out free samples around town!

Next time you're at the grocery store, walk right past that box of Cupcake Pebbles (dessert disguised as breakfast) and reach for a box of Uncle Sam!

disclaimer: I was not paid to promote Uncle Sam. I was given this product to review, but I've been buying Sam the Man for years!

PS- have you checked out Guiltless yet? We just reached 100 fans on facebook and we want to keep spreading the word! Check out this week's posts on Operation Beautiful, The Fashion Industry and a very special guest post!

It's Getting Hot in Here: Drink up!

Whew! It sure is getting hot out there! With 12 weeks to go until the Chicago marathon, runs are getting longer just as the weather gets warmer! I usually have to wake up at (ungodly) hours of the morning to get my runs in while its still cool before work. Since i prescribe to the Sweat Once a Day mantra, I also pay close attention to my hydration status and make the best out of the sunny days. Below is a collection of my favorite Hot-Weather Running Tips

• Dress the Part: Wear light-colored, micro-fiber clothing (i.e. “technical” running clothing).
• Change your Schedule: Run early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are lowest.
• Listen to your body. If at any time your body gives you signals to slow down or to stop, abide by them.
• Be aware of your heart rate, body temperature and hydration levels. If you experience lightheadedness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, weakness and/or headache, stop running immediately.

• Sweat Everyday, but don't get Dehydrated!

Participating in endurance events in hot and humid conditions can also exacerbate dehydration. Dehydration is the process of losing fluids from the body; in this case, through sweat. As you sweat, you lose water and salt. Each runner sweats and loses salt at a different rate; thus, it is vital to replace fluids and monitor sodium intake in order to avoid any issues. -Dr. George Chiampas, Chicago Marathon Medical Director

Did you know that on hot days, athletes can lose about five liters or 20 cups of water through sweat during prolonged exercise??

• Barbie Broschart, MS, RD, CD/N shared some great hydration tips in aSkinny in the City post.

• Before: On extra warm days, drink at least 16 ounces of water about 2 hours before exercise and about 8 ounces of a sports drink (like Gatorade) about 30 to 60 minutes before a long run.

  • I

    n a study in the April 2010 Journal of Athletic Training, runners who started a 12-K race dehydrated on an 80?F day finished about two and a half minutes slower compared to when they ran it hydrated. Dehydration causes your blood volume to drop, which lowers your body's ability to transfer heat and forces your heart to beat faster, making it difficult for your body to meet aerobic demands.
• During: Repletion of fluids, electrolytes, and glucose is important during prolonged exercise (anything greater than 1 hour). Drinking about 5 ounces of a sports drink or alternative with 4 to 8% carbohydrate (Gatorade, Accelerate, EFS, Heed and Coconut water, plain flavored for those who are trying to watch their weight) every 20 minutes can provide the proper amount of carbohydrate, electrolytes, and fluid. Start to refuel within 60-90 minutes of exercise and continue throughout as needed. Remember that unless you are training intensely for more than 1 hour at a time, a sports drink is probably not necessary.

• After: Aim to drink about 20 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight lost. (You can figure this out by weighing yourself before and then after your run). Also make sure to eat something that contains carbohydrate, protein, and sodium post workout within roughly 30 minutes to replete your glycogen stores.

Feeling Down? Drink up! Need even another reason to stay hydrated? A Tufts study of young athletes found that was associated with negative mood, including fatigue and confusion, compared to the hydrated group.

Fitness Myth: Working out in the heat burns more calories. FALSE. Any weight you lose is purely due to water/sweat so hydrate fast! See this great myth-busting article!

Want this-a towel that cools you down!!! What could possibly be the greatest invention, ever, I need right now!

How are you beating the heat this summer? Do you like training in the summer for a fall race or event?

July, July

Where oh where has this month gone?? Lost in my whirlwind life! After coming back to Boston from home, i jumped right back into the swing of things!

Teresa Ann Miller and I have been best friends since we were 5 years old. We're most definitely soul sisters and I was so excited to have her come visit Boston and show her the sites.

Run with It We're both running the Chicago Marathon in October together and it was unbelievably nice to have someone to run all of my training runs with. She's a beast, and really pushed me to up my pace.

how can i compete?

like true warriors, we get in fights with sidewalks

I had to show her the greatest running store of all time- marathon sports Where I decided to commit to a pair of minimalist shoes-Saucony Progrid Kinvara

obviously in hot pink

a pretty bad-a 7.7 oz

I'm going to gradually incorporate more minimalist running in my marathon training-look for a post about why soon!

You can find me Poolside-Hotel Indigo Newton Just got so much better with this cooler-than-thou pool and cabanas.

Drink Up: Harpoon brewery tour-tastes of all their beers on tap fo free every day at 4

and of course i had to show her some of my favorite places for cocktails in boston: Drink, Clink, No. 9 Park, Eastern Standard, Deep Ellum, La Verdad, and more!

The best moscow mule in the world at Drink

Eats: We had so many good meals, both out and at my apartment.

It doesn't hurt to have lots of foodie friends who eat grilled cheese with you and then bring you homemade low-sugar apricot preserves

Dinner at Orinocco is always delicious, especially when you have this hot waitress.

Sarah and Steph are Arepa Girls

Teresa and Annabelle and delicious drinks

Retro: Candle Pin Bowling at Saccos is my new favorite activity. Pair with Flatbread pizza-perfection

Bakery Blues: My days at Clear Flour are coming to an end soon. This little bakery will always have a very special place and my heart, and I highly recommend you check it out, especially since it was just named "BestBakery In Boston" by Boston Magazine! I have really enjoyed working there, but with training, school and other things going on in my life, I can't work 40 hrs a week anymore. I have met amazing people there and will be visiting often though!

Guiltless. Stephanie Horton and I launched a new blog which revolves around food and body image, we'd love for you to check it out here or become a fan on facebook!

One last parting thought, something I know:

What do you have planned for August??