Sportello

Rachael, Rebecca and I get together almost bi-weekly to catch up over apps & drinks.  We realized, as of late, that we've been hitting our usual favorite restaurants over and over again.  In the new year, we committed to trying places that none of us have been to yet.  

Tonight, we went to Sportello in South Boston near Seaport. 

I talk about "health in friendships" a lot. Having healthy relationships should really be the foundation to your healthy lifestyle.  My friends and family mean the world to me.  Fitting in quality time with the people that mean the most to you... is healthy.

Let me tell you about the food... here's how we started: 1 red, 2 Proseccos. Bread.

Rachael and I have VERY similar palettes and even usually share a couple of different appetizers rather than getting our own meal.  Here, we both got separate portions of butternut squash angnolotti. Becca got the tagliatelle bolognese.  (She always gets that (or a steak) and we always take a bite). Both were amazing.

Dear Boston, what's the deal with your black puffy jacket? (I'm guilty)

I end most nights with peppermint tea.  My mom always told me that peppermint aids in digestion.  She was/is correct.  I absolutely love it.

Have a fabulous friday. xo.

Revved up Oatmeal

This morning, I ran out of my usual breakfast staple of an Ezekiel english muffin with raw almond or peanut butter. I had to go with oatmeal. Oatmeal is so boring... not like when we were kids and strawberries and cream was the jam. But I digress...  I decided to jazz it up with some key healthy ingredients.  These additions not only made it even more healthy than it already is, but, also added some crunch and FLAVA.

Here's what I added and what makes these ingredients SO HEALTHY.

- ground flax meal: You've probably heard of flax seeds/meal. What you may not know is that you don't really see the health benefits of flax unless it is ground up.  This little tbs added a big dose of omega-3's, antioxidants, & fiber.
- sunflower seeds: These little seeds provide significant amounts of vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, has anti-inflammatory properties, & has been known to lower cholesterol.
- blueberries: I love blueberries. Frozen berries are pretty much just as healthy as fresh.  They are frozen immediately rather than sitting on a truck for a week.  Anyway, as you probably already know, blueberries are extremely high in antioxidants.
- wheat germ: Just a couple tbs has a decent amount of protein, iron, folic acid, potassium, and vitamin E.  Not sure why we don't see more about wheat germ. My 90+ year old great grandfather ate it throughout most of his life.  He's 90-something!
- cinnamon: This flavor enhancer has one of the highest antioxidant levels out of any food! It also helps control blood sugar. Bring it on.

Learn more about antioxidants here and here. Sorry that oatmeal looks so ugly. 

Have a great night. xo