Monthly Archives: October 2013

Grilled Barbecue and Rosemary Pork Chops

Have I mentioned I absolutely love having a grill?  It’s a simple and clean way of cooking, just the way I like my food!  I hadn’t tried pork chops on the grill yet so decided to last night.  I knew I had barbecue sauce (from Fairway Market) at home but wanted to add a little something else. I don’t use fresh herbs that often but walked by them at the store and the rosemary just caught my eye!  So that’s how dinner was decided last night.  I may or may not have Googled on my phone what herbs go best with barbecue….hey I’m learning!

Grilled Barbecue and Rosemary Pork Chops

  • Organic Center Cut Bone-In Pork Chops
  • Barbecue Sauce
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Fresh Rosemary

I told you this was simple!  Coat the chops with barbecue sauce, salt, and pepper.  Sprinkle rosemary on the side that will be facing up on the grill.  Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes.  Flip the pork chops and sprinkle more rosemary on the other side.  Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the pork chops are the slightest pink in the center.

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I decided I wanted sweet potatoes as a side.  I remembered Juli’s recipe for “Cinnamon Bacon Backyard Sweet Potatoes”  on PaleOMG and decided to make a spin on those.  I replaced the cinnamon with rosemary and they came out delicious!  I roasted up some broccoli too to complete the perfect fall dinner!

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I have to also show the picture of Andy’s plates.  He likes his food on all separate dishes so I told him I have to get him an adult separator plate.  He also doesn’t like sweet potatoes…have to work on that!

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What a great dinner.  I have a ton of rosemary left over now.  Anyone have any good dishes that use it?

Take Me Back Tuesday – Boston

A big part of me will always be in Boston.  The day I graduated from college (the University of Massachusetts, Amherst) I decided to pack up my apartment and move to Beantown!  I spent the past four years there from 2009 to 2013.

I started my career in Boston, had what I call my “first adult relationship” in Boston, started practicing and found my love of yoga in Boston, and navigated the ups and downs of my early 20’s in Boston.  It’s been quite the transitional year moving back to Connecticut.  While I know it was the right choice there are just some things about Boston that I will always miss!

10 Things I Miss About Boston

Running along the Charles River

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Fenway Park – The fans, the sunsets, the beer, and the singing.

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The T – Never thought I would say that! But I miss being able to hop on the train to go to the store or dinner, and all of the “interesting” people you encounter.

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Newbury Street – What a beautiful street lined with brownstones and has great shopping, food, and people watching.

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The North End / Waterfront – My first company was in this neighborhood.  The North End is the “Little Italy” of Boston with fantastic restaurants and some great Italian American culture.  It also sits right next to the waterfront which is just a beatiful place bustling with tourists.

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Running around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir – I lived close to the reservoir most of my years in Boston.  It was about a mile and a half around, a perfect place to run, and had some great sunsets.

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The Skyline 

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Hip Hop Yoga – My very first yoga class was at Sweat & Soul yoga to try out Hip Hop yoga.  It’s not what you think it is!  It’s just vinyasa flow to loud music and so, so much fun!  This picture was at a hip hop yoga event near Copley Square hosted by Lululemon.

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The Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, & Patriots and all of their crazy fans.  

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The Boston Common & Public Garden

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I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend four years of my life in one of the best cities in the world!

Coconut Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

I haven’t made stir-fry in ages!  I don’t even know how that’s possible but when my roommate made it last week for dinner it’s been on my mind ever since.  I was excited to saute the chicken in coconut oil too.  I’ve really only used coconut oil in some paleo / gluten – free treats so was interested to see how it would come out using it in place of olive oil, etc.  Well it came out delicious!  And now I have lunch for the rest of the week.

Coconut Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

  • 3 Organic Chicken Breasts
  • 1lb Fresh Mixed Stir Fry Veggies (Whole Foods has a great bin of them in their produce section)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Organic Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce
  • Salt
  • Pepper

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  • Cut the chicken into cubes (or strips) and turn the stove on medium heat.
  • Put the coconut oil in the pan once it gets hot and then throw in the chicken.
  • Throw in the onions from the veggie mix at this point.
  • Saute the chicken until there is no more pink, approximately for 5 minutes.
  • Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the chicken and mix.
  • Add the teriyaki sauce and let simmer on medium heat for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the stir fry vegetables and cover the pan.
  • Turn the burner on low and let cook for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

I put my stir-fry over some quinoa.  It made a great dinner and lunches for the rest of the week!

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Monday’s Workout

Tonight’s workout felt great but it definitely winded me!  I swear every time I look at a Crossfit work out and think “oh that might be a little bit easier” it ends up being such a tough one.  Those tricky Crossfit WOD creators I tell ya!

This is how I chose my workout today.  I went to Crossfit.com.  After not seeing any recent ones that I was feeling I decided to go back a bit further into the archives.  I went to November, 2012 and decided to look at November 3rd because that’s the day that me and Andy went on our first date. Yes, this is how my weird brain works.  I wrote that work-out down along with two others.

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I then texted this exact picture to Andy and asked him which workout I should do.  He really helps with my indecisiveness a lot!  He also knows what my body can and can’t handle and what will challenge me.  It’s nice having a sort-of personal trainer for free! He suggested the first or last one.  I went for the last one:

Three Rounds for Time: I did mine in about 23 minutes

  • Row 500 meters
  • 21 Burpees (I just realized I did 25 for all 3 rounds!)
  • Run 400 meters
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