Love My Market Breakfast for Dinner Omelet

Ever have one of those rushing around days when you've wolfed down a quick breakfast, run around town and missed lunch?  Of course you have.  Ever droolingly planned what you'd eat once you got home and then been too tired to make it?  Me too!

Asparagus & Pesto Great Pasta Choices

Wait a minute...that's not pasta! This is the post reminding all of you that I'm hosting this week's Presto Pasta Night. So why is there a photo of an asparagus omelet at the top? Well, I'm still on The South Beach Diet Supercharged and, although I've lost a few pounds, it looks like I'll still be doing this next week as well. And as I was making my very delicious omelet, I couldn't help but imagine how great the roasted asparagus tossed with some of Giada's Spicy Walnut Pesto and some cheese would be over pasta - the link to the pesto is actually a tasty pasta dish I made not that long ago - great for SBD Phase 2 with multigrain pasta.

Asparagus & Cheese Spicy Walnut Pesto Omelet

Send your fabulous pastas to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday night, so I can drool - and bookmark for later.

Easy Long Weekends in Nova Scotia

Long weekends are always nice, but particularly wonderful when the sun is shining and the temperatures are warm...and even better if great road trips are only minutes away. The difference between living in Toronto and heading out to for a country-side adventure is all about the time it takes to get there...and the ocean, of course (That's Queensland Beach above).

This weekend was the Annual Indian Point/Mahone Bay Mussel Festival and under an hour from Halifax on the loveliest ocean route, passing quaint fishing villages, artistic centers and lots of beaches (at least 10) along the way. The Lighthouse Route is my favorite day trip, as you can see here. You are in the country, on windy country roads within 15 minutes of downtown Halifax and the views are spectacular - Atlantic Ocean view on the left and lakes and mountains on the right. But I digress and you check out my earlier raves by just doing a search here.

Saturday was an attempt to spend the day at Queensland Beach, but the winds blew us toward a more sheltered picnicking spot down the road.
And yesterday it was a jaunt to Mahone Bay to participate in the Mussel Festival and for a lunch of delicious mussels. Frankly it was hard to choose - every restaurant was selling them and every restaurant had at least three options. We ended up at the Gazebo Cafe (a charming spot with lots of patio space and lots of wonderful dishes) and ate some Spanish styled with Chorizo and, my favorite, these Provencal with shrimp in a Pernod cream sauce.
Today is still a lovely day, and to give us some quick energy...or rather, energy quickly...I made this tasty

Asparagus & Cheese with Spicy Walnut Pesto Omelet

with local asparagus - here at last!

I'm not sure where our adventures will take us today, but I am sure it will be wonderful.

Revisiting South Beach Before the Holidays

I'm sure you're all rolling your eyes, but I am making an effort to prepare for the round of holiday eating that's already begun. All those parties, all those party dishes I'm making from the fantastic cookbooks I have are taking their toll on my waistline.

Finding the new The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life as I was in the check out line at the grocery store...well, it seemed a sign.

It has a comprehensive 2 week daily menu planner. Truth is, I never find lunch or dinner a challenge on their diet plans. I've written about my first SBD journey before and there are some other tasty SBD friendly dishes peppered throughout the other recipes as well. Even pasta is allowed after the first phase...just try for whole grain pasta rather than white flour and use more sauce than noodles...but I digress.

I guess the hardest part of SBD for me is eating breakfast. I admit it...I need coffee before I even figure out what I'm going to wear, but food... actually cooking and chewing something....that comes later. But it's critical on the SB plan to train your body, (Dr Agatston says it so much better) otherwise it thinks you're starving and stores sugar that turns to that lovely ring of fat around your waist. Graphic enough to get you to eat breakfast? Well I'm working on it.

Hard boiled eggs are easy to do and I love them, but frankly, they aren't really all that filling and how many days in a row can you eat the same thing? So omelets are another easy option - and I have many good frittata and scramble to choose from...just remember to eliminate the chorizo and other fatty meats especially in phase one.

Here's my latest...Mediterranean Omelet with Broccoli & Feta...It's perfect for one or for a brunch served in wedges...the only difference is the size of the pan. Remember one egg per serving (I know it doesn't sound like enough, but the filling really...well...fills you up).