Eating, “Exercising”, and Summer Faves

Summer is in full effect here in the Tdot. We are experiencing some serious heat! Trying to stay cool is a full-time job so in order to make the mugginess less burdensome I do things like bake stuff with the oven on high and then spend the next hour washing the dishes and working up a sweat. Which then leads to me getting even more hot, and then having to jump in the pool as a refresher! Times are hard. Some people like to do cool things like MapMyRun and post these great statuses on Twitter and Facebook that say things like “I completed my run in 20 minutes. I ran 10 kilometres!” Wow seriously? I don’t know anything about that kind of workout these days. Working out for me is limited to things like carrying a 30 pound baby around for at least an hour a day. Ummm, come to my house and I’ll show you how to add about 1000 extra calories to your day- that’s what I’m good at working out. So, right now, don’t come to me for advice on how to stay fit- come to me for help with eating. Because that, my friends, is something I am really good at. I’m not saying I’m good at making it all, but I’m trying and along the way I’m learning fun things that I want to share with you. So here it goes: I’ll give you a few things to chew on literally. My top five things to make/bake for the summer, and my top five places to eat and hang in the city.

EATING:

1) Make this cake. It’s super easy and you can substitute other fruit toppings. I did blueberries with lime zest and I’m sure you could do the rest of the berry family as well. Great to throw together for people coming over for dinner.

2) Make these meringues with fresh fruit: This was a little recipe I happened upon in Bon Appetit and I love it! It’s so refreshing and for those who are actually watching their calories, if you do it without the ice cream, I’m sure it won’t be to heavy. The French know their food so just trust them, you can’t go wrong.

3) Make this salad: This salad is a winner. It’s beautiful to look at and beautiful to eat (is there such a thing as beautiful to eat?? If not, I’m coining that because really beauty should be a verb and I feel something magnificent when I eat good food!). I used Stilton blue cheese instead of goat, which I prefer. The sharpness adds some punch to the dish.

4) Make this Salad Nicoise for your dinner: Again with the French. I’m telling you, they know their stuff! Nicoise refers to the region the salad originates from, and the type of olive you should use, but I sub in Kalamatas and I think they taste just fine. The potatoes, beans, and boiled egg make it a hearty meal, not just some wimpy salad dressed up as a main dish.

5) Make these spare ribs: These are crowd pleasers. Kalbi is a traditional type of Korean meat dish. The cut is thinner than traditional short ribs so you probably have to go to a Korean grocer like Galleria to find these, but they sell the marinade and all you have to do is put them in to soak overnight in the fridge, and maybe add some chopped garlic and you’re good to go. The link here is for a homemade marinade, but I personally have only used the store-bought version and I love it. These will not disappoint! Plan for about 4-5 per person.

PLACES TO GO:

1) Starbucks. Enough said

2) Menchies. Enough said

3) Terroni: I love the atmosphere at this place. It’s not so much a summer place, as it is an all year-round type of restaurant with great pasta and pizza.

4) Boiler House: I’m a sucker for ambiance. The meals are pricey, but they’re amazing! So if you only want to go for a snack or drink, I think it’s still worth it since the location (The Distillery), and the place itself are enjoyable regardless.

5) St. Lawrence Market: Food galore! Take your pick, there’s tons to look at and tons of choices of things to eat. I personally love the Peameal Bacon Sandwich from Carousel Bakery. My dad has been taking us there since I was a little tot! They are delicious any time of the year.

Happy summer eating, and for some of you ambitious ones, exercising!