So Fresh and So... Healthy

Hello friends!

So I have yet to make the recipes mentioned in the previous blog as I only just had a chance to go grocery shopping yesterday.  But boy oh boy was it a blast!

My friends and coworkers Aly and Jon told me about this awesome local market right in Watertown.  The store is called Russo's and I checked it out before and loved it!  Fresh/local everything! They also have a deli/cheese counter where they will make gourmet sandwiches to order, plus another counter of pre-made food you can buy by the pound.  They also have an eclectic mix of items from all around the world, so it is easy to go there and get inspired to create recipes.  And I am certainly inspired!

Though I haven't made the recipes yet, I was a good girl and finally stuck to a plan to prepare my fruits and veggies in advance.  I am notorious for buying tons of healthy options, then letting it sit there and rot because I would rather grab something which is unhealthy and go.

One awesome thing I did, I made my own pumpkin puree!  I know it probably would've been easier to just buy a can, but I wanted to take on the challenge, and do it all by myself.

It was actually quite simple to do as well.  Just get a small pumpkin, I bought sugar pumpkins because they were both bulky and petite.  I don't have a good pair of knives, so I actually used the knives from my pumpkin carving kit.  First, cut the top off, divide into 6 pieces, and scoop out all the seeds and pulp from the inside.  you then turn on the stove to 350 degrees, and bake for 45 mins, or until they are fork tender.  Remove skins and then blend, blend, blend!  Nommy!

I used the recipe from The Pioneer Woman so I knew what I was doing.

Also made a delightful sandwich I found on FoodGawker.  It was called a California Sandwich.  Tomatoes, avocados, cilantro... grom nom!  It was quick and easy and quite delightful.  Plus, really low on my Weight Watchers Point scale, so I was even more thrilled!  The recipe is below, I just omitted the cheese to make it healthier.  To be honest, the sandwich itself had so much flavor I really don't believe it needed it in the first place.

Hopefully tomorrow I will make one of the recipes before work.  Maybe some salsa too, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.  It's already a long night working on my off day, but also because the Red Sox/Tigers game pushed our show back, so I'm not getting home til late.  Ce la vie!