Indoor Hiking: a Museum Mile or Two
When the temperature-humidity index approaches triple digits, it's time for indoor hiking. If you're on your feet for 3-4 hours, you'll cover 3+ miles and burn 600-1000 calories in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Soda Pop: Make Your Own Ginger Ale
This sounds like a great idea - but if it doesn't taste great, it's just an idea - not a solution. So I'm going to give you a tasty taste every week until you get hooked on one. This is a healthy addiction that can replace a very unhealthy one.
Ripe Now. This week, make ratatouille. Eggplant, tomatoes, peppers …
Now at Farmers Markets everywhere: eggplant, peppers, squash, fennel and tomatoes at peak flavors. Now everywhere: way too much heat. Make a silver lining: a huge pot of ratatouille; refrigerate it; and enjoy it cold for the rest of the week.
Garden Watch #3: Blueberry Shortcake
There's nothing better than a handful of fresh blueberries, with the possible exception of Blueberry Shortcake. You can make the shortcake biscuit dough in five minutes flat. Seven to ten minutes in a 450-degree oven and you've got a killer dessert.
Stretch of the Week: Hamstrings C’mon, it’s Monday. Loosen up.
Yup. Still here, flat on my back. We've done Knees-To-Chest and Spinal Twist to warm and loosen up your lower back. Now we'll relax, stretch and strengthen your hamstrings. Here's a video to demonstrate an Active Hamstring Stretch. Give it a try.
Peach Sunday
I got a huge bag of white and yellow peaches in my CSA farm share this week, so I'm making a Peach Pizza for brunch. And because today is National Ice Cream Day, it's time for homemade peach ice cream, too.
Pizza: Farm and Garden Fresh
Two great pizzas. Two bucks each. Totally fresh. Tomato-Basil and Escarole-Prosciutto. If you have kids or a significant other with bad eating habits, pizza crust is a great platform for healthy ingredients. I mean, who doesn't want to eat a pizza?
Pizza 101: Roll Your Own
Pizza for better, cheaper, delicious breakfasts, brunches, lunches, dinners and desserts. You can put almost anything on it. When it comes straight from your own oven, it’s infinitely better than anything you can carry home or have delivered.
Let’s Dance: The Summer Playlist
If you're not motivated to exercise, here's my suggestion: put on some music that you can't not dance to. This is aerobic: you get your heart rate up and sweat. 45 minutes and minus 275 calories (that's a big scoop of ice cream). My playlist:
Garden Watch #2: Corn Sex In The City
If you always wanted to know but were embarrassed to ask: watch the video to see how corn makes babies. I never thought I could grow corn in a container. But it looks like it's working!