Summer Blueberries!

Hi! I'm at it again. The food geek who is a huge sucker for farms and picking your own produce. Last year I posted about a trip to Patterson Fruit Farms for strawberries and today I went to Voytko Farms for blueberries. Some of my family and friends(you know who you are) would tell me that this is a colossal waste of time and would remind me that there is a Heinens down the street. There is such a sense of satisfaction from picking your own. Plus, they travel less which helps maintain vitamins and nutrients. Picking your own is also less expensive.

The blueberry season should run another couple weeks. Picking was slimmer than previous years, but, it just takes a little bit of patience. I enjoyed the peace and quiet that you find on a farm. The sound of crickets and frogs lulled me into a sort of picking trance. Occasionally, I would run into a large groundhog hole or bee, but, that comes with the territory.

Voytko Farms is located in Auburn Township. They also have rasperries, maple syrup, and homemade jams. You can find a local farm where you can pick your own at http://pickyourown.org/. Ohio produces more than 200 crops which makes food and agriculture one of our states largest industries. 90% of Ohio farms are family owned.

We ended our 90 degree day at the farm with some cold ice cream in Chagrin Falls , Ohio just minutes away.

This is probably the most amazing ice cream I have ever tasted. The dark chocolate and buttermilk peach flavor are to die for. They have some exotic flavors like a spicy Tai peanut which had a cayenne pepper kick to it. Unfortunately we were so focused on the ice cream I don't have any photos. You will just have to check it out for yourself.

Forks Over Knives in Cleveland!!!

Yesterday, I went to see Forks Over Knives on the opening night at the Cedar Lee in Cleveland Ohio. I know people keep saying it, BUT, it was a life changing sort of movie. It really got me thinking about the possibility of changing my entire way of eating over to Vegan. As a dietitian, I always thought Veganism was a bit extreme and dangerous in the wrong hands. However, I thought the movie was extremely persuasive in presenting reasons to make the switch to a plant based diet. The evidence is plain and simple.... people in parts of the world that eat plant based foods, don't have the devastating illnesses such as heart disease, obesity, cancer, and diabetes. These same countries, when converted over to the eating habits of the US, start to develop these illnesses at alarming rates.

Still, I guess there is a part of me that needs more information in regards to protein. The movie suggest that protein is not as essential to our diets as we have been taught throughout our entire lives. WHAT!!!! I feel like I did in 3rd grade when I was told there is no Santa Claus. In dietetics school we learned that our bodies need approximately 20% of our daily intakes to be from protein. This movies says... not true. Maybe we need only 5%.

The movie also did a good job at making us dietitians look like idiots trained to teach untruths that were conjured up by the US government. Yes, there is a conspiracy theory aspect to the movie which is that the US government, more specifically known as the USDA, is controlled by the meat and dairy industry. Yes, that's right, that food pyramid we've been basing our diets on is a complete farce according to FOK. I can't help but feel a little duped!!!

One of the contributors to the movie took questions after the film ended. She called herself "doctor"(doctor of what I'm not sure). I asked her how she felt about the Mediterranean diet. She said with a chuckle, "Oh, that's just slightly better than our diet here in the US". So, I guess that olive oil and fish we have been hearing so much about is also a no, no. I feel so confused and I'm supposed to have some expertise in this field! With all the mixed information we receive regarding diet, it is no wonder Americans are so confused and fat.

But, I won't hold a grudge. I think all of us health professionals have the same concerns about the highly processed, fat-laden, nutrient-poor, overly salted foods that have become far too common and accepted. I guess, we just need to take what we like from the movie. For me, it was the message that fruits, vegetables, and plant based proteins need to be drastically increased in our diets every single day of our lives. In addition, if you have a condition or are trying to prevent a condition such as high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity or even cancer, you should pay close attention to this movie. It could save your life. Just saying...

OK, OK... too much heavy talk. I followed up the movie with a trip to MELT. I know what your thinking.... ummm, Sue, not exactly the most nutritious place to eat. However, I was up to the challenge of finding plant based foods at a place where they serve virtually nothing but cheese and meat. And I think I did OK. The lovely thing about MELT is the fact that you can create your own cheese sandwich(called the Kindergartner on the menu). They have a large list of beautiful veges that you can add to your sandwich. I chose a Havarti melt with spinach, tomatoes, and roasted garlic(ate only half the sandwich). Although the fries come along side and were hard to resist, I ordered the snap peas as a substitute. I'm not sure what they did to those peas but they were AWESOME! I did not miss the fries one bit. See, this can be done. Baby steps.

The Root Cafe- back to my roots in Lakewood

Is there anyone in Cleveland who didn't start out living in Lakewood after they left their parent's house? It's sort of a rite of passage for us Clevelanders to live in a double or apartment after we've scored that first job out of school. I also had my first child and bought my first house in Lakewood. So, even though I wasn't born there, I still consider it part of my "roots". Some of my friends now say that Lakewood has become a bit too "edgy" for them. But, I still love it for its variety. It is always changing for better or for worse. I love that it is kind of a transition spot from suburbs to downtown. And it still has some of the best eateries in Cleveland. Including this place... The Root Cafe.




This cafe had me at hello. I loved the warmth of the place immediately. I love the artwork on the wall and the feeling that you have just been transported back to one of your favorite college joints. It is also vegetarian. They purchase much of their food products locally and some from community Lakewood gardens.

I had the toasted cheddar cheese sandwich with pesto and tomatoes. It was on a whole grain bread from the Breadsmith Bakery. It was very satisfying and reasonable at $4.50.

I also ordered a side of cabbage and cashew salad. It was tangy and crunchy and a bargain at $1.50.

I was too full to partake of the desserts, but, here is a sampling below. I hope to return soon for coffee and a treat. They have a large variety of coffee drinks as this was the former Phoenix Coffee shop transformed.



This has risen to the top of my list for hip places to meet a friend for lunch. I am glad to see things are still bustling in my old neighborhood, Lakewood, Ohio.



Happy Mothers Day to all my favorite moms!

North Beach Grill- day #1

O.K. So, I mentioned that we did not have the greatest weather on this trip, right? That just makes one appreciate eating even more, in my opinion. B and I snuck away from the kiddies on our first night in town and ate at the North beach Grill on Tybee Island. The restuarant is a little screened in shack right on the ocean. It stands right next to the Tybee Island lighthouse. Last time we were here, it was packed with people in their swimsuits with sand still on their feet. I absolutely love that laid back island feel in a restaurant. Bob Marley is always playing and the food has a carribean meets southern flair. The food is made from scratch and is upscale yet casual. The restaurant purchases all locally grown produce and they use fresh, wild shrimp caught in Georgia. You can see the shrimp boats passing by daily on the coastline(think Forest Gump which was filmed in Savannah). This shrimp is like a different species from what we get here in Ohio(sorry Clevelanders, but, its true). I ordered the fish tacos(pictured above). This includes sauteed tilapia with a tangy cabbage slaw in a lime sauce.

Ahhh.. and here's the shrimp. We ordered a 1/2 # basket of shrimp in a jerk sauce. This is the greatest jerk seasoning I have ever tasted. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the recipe as our waiter informed us they use over 40 ingredients in the sauce. It is obviously a labor of love.

And the NB grill has many cold cervezas to wash down that spicy jerk seasoning. The favorite beer among the locals seems to be Yuengling's which is now one of my favorites also. This was a great place to kick off our eating tour of Savannah. I recommend all you foodies plan a trip down south in your near future. Tybee will take all your cares away(even with clouds in the forecast).

Travels to Savannah Georgia

Savannaaaah...... How I love this town. This is the 4th time my family and I have vacationed here and I don't think I will ever grow tired of it. It is beautiful, quirky, energetic and has some of the best southern home cooking in the nation. In the spring, magnolia bushes paint this historic southern town with bright splashes of pinks and reds.

The Spanish moss drapes the trees...

The amazing architecture....

The beach on Tybee Island.... The spooky ghost tales including this heartbroken young woman who haunts this famous inn waiting for her soldier love to return from battle....... or this haunted mansion which was once a funeral home, then converted into a disco, and now an upscale B&B..... And did I mention food...

And more food... Yes, Paula Dean's world renowned Lady and Son's.

We had a fabulous time as usual. The weather was unusually chilly, so we were not able to swim at the beach but, made up for it touring all of Savannah. We also spent some very much needed family time and bonded over a few games of UNO. Over the next few posts I will show you some of the great meals we had while we ate our way through Savannah. I think I will definitely need some extra yoga and Stella walks this week.

The White Stuff is Back!

O.K. Enough of this winter already! I guess I shouldn't be upset. It is February in Cleveland. But, seeing the sun and ground over the weekend was such a tease. So, I've decided to bring Spring indoors with this lovely bloom from Trader Joe's. I also read a top 10 list of foods which will help beat the winter blues. So, I tried to include a couple of those foods(fish and lentils) into my dinner last night.

I started out by making a lentil salad .

First, I chopped 1c. of red pepper and 1 c. of red onion


Wisked together 5 T. of extra virgin olive oil, 5T. red wine vinegar, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 t. of cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.

Simmered 1 cup of rinsed lentils on medium-low heat for 15- 20 minutes. Lentils and other legumes have lots of B vitamins which help to improve immunity and mood.

Then tossed the ingredients together and serve at room temperature. Feta cheese makes and excellent garnish.

For the main dish, I tried a recipe from Giada which I've been looking at for over a year now, but, kept putting off for unknown reasons. It is Roasted Halibut with Grapefruit Fennel Salsa.

The salsa was a bit challenging, but, well worth the effort. Using 2 ruby red grapefruits, I first removed 1 teaspoon of zest with a zester. Then, using a sharp knife, I separated each of the grapefruit segments and holding the fruit over a bowl gently squeezed the juice from the halves until I had about 1/4 c. juice. Then I removed each of the segments until I had about 1 cup. Add the zest and the segments to the bowl of 1/4 c of juice.

Next, I cut a fennel bulb in half lengthwise and sliced it thin. I've avoided cooking with fennel before because I don't really like the taste of black licorice. But, I found this to really mild, crunchy and delicious.

Add it to the bowl of grapefruit segments and grapefruit juice. Add 1/4 c. of olive oil , 2T. chopped parsley, 1t. of salt and 1/8 t. of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. This recipe also called for 2T. of Nicoise olives which I left out as my family does not like olives.

Meanwile, place 4- 6 oz pieces of Halibut on a parchment lined roasting dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 t. salt and enough pepper to taste. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes depending on thickness. Halibut was a bit on the expensive side, but, still much cheaper than going out.
Gently transfer the fish to a serving plate. Pour the salsa over the top of the roasted halibut and serve immediately.

A platter of Roasted Halibut with Ruby-red Grapefruit Salsa! That = sunshine!

There's your O-mega 3's, vitamins B's and vitamin C. Spring is coming...

Dinner at Home

This is what it looked like around here on Saturday night. I try to be proponent of you, dear Cleveland, but on nights like this its damn near impossible for a sun lover like me. The cold and snow have been absolutely RELENTLESS! So, we stayed in and cooked using items we had purchased that day at Costco. Anyhow, on the brightside, I found some great tasting and easy products which would make a quick (meatless) weeknight meal.

First, I boiled these delicious spinach and 3 cheese ravioli's. I really liked the consistency of this ravioli because the dough seemed thinner than others I have tried.


Usually, I like to make my own sauces, but, this jarred sauce was truly delicious at about $4 per jar. Plus, I didn't have to fight with the butternut squash like I have in the past.


It is chalk full of vegetables such as butternut squash, tomatoes, red pepper puree, beets, etc. No artificial flavor or colors involved. The product is also gluten-free.


Added some leafy greens to round out the meal. I love Trader Joe's Tuscan Italian salad dressing.

If I have to stay in... I guess this will work. Enjoy.