Yesterday, we drove out to the coast for lunch in Half Moon Bay (I had halibut and double veggies) and down to Pescadero for beans, of all things. I'd found Phipps Country Store online and was excited to check out their locally grown, heirloom varieties, and I was not disappointed. (I got a camera for my birthday, and what did I take pictures of? Beans, of course!)
The store itself is adorably quaint, with old appliances given a new life as display cases - a century old Maytag washer houses peanuts, for example. The dry bean section held more variety than I've seen in one place, and more varieties than I've seen, period! Many of them are grown on site. Orle, the friendly gentleman working in at the counter, suggested Gigantes, a huge white bean that is good for salads, and Green Flagiolets, a small, immature bean that doesn't need to soak. I also bought some gorgeous Jacob's Cattle Beans, Red Calypsos, and Buckskin Beans. I just stocked up on lentils or I would have bought more there - they had quite a variety, including whole lentils (as opposed to the more common split lentils you would see in the supermarket or bulk bins) and I was told they're grown in Lodi, so here's my local lentil source! Black garbanzo beans were another interesting find. I bought a jar of strawberry-rhubarb jam as well.
They also have a pick-your-own berry farm, a small area with farm animals, and a great greenhouse-type room with plants and birds. We saw a friendly cockatoo (he and Jax said "hello" back and forth for quite a while!), lovebirds, parakeets, quail, pigeons, pheasants, and chickens, plus a bunny. The whole place was just great for someone like me, interested in local foods, but also a nice pit stop for fresh food if you're ever in the area and want a picnic.
I spent $19.83 on beans and jam, and I'll definitely be back the next time I need beans!
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Today's weigh in was great, with a 4.8 lb. loss this week, bringing my total down to 23 lb. gone in 9 weeks. My goal of 30 lb. by September 23 is well underway. I think I'll meet that by mid-August at the current rate.
Today's meeting topic was exercise, and just another kick in the pants to stay on track exercising! That is the easier place for me to falter, and it can be easy to talk myself out of it even though I feel so good after. My plan is to exercise 4 days this week, earning 16 Activity Points.
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The farmer's market is in full swing, with fruits and veggies in great abundance and variety! My CSA box includes:
Blue Lake Green Beans
Sweet white corn
Basil
Eggplant
Melon
Torpedo onion (a torpedo-shaped red onion)
Potatoes
Mixed heirloom tomatoes (so pretty!)
I also picked up a few zucchinis, grapes, strawberries, bell peppers, and more tofu from Hodo Soy, spending $15.00 on colorful, nutritious produce. I'll be making grilled eggplant stacks again tonight (see the July 15 entry for the recipe), since my produce box gave me eggplants and it was such a delicious way to use them!
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Between the beans and produce, my total spending on food for the week is a whopping $34.83. We'll need more milk later in the week, and still have lots of leftovers from last week, so it will be a low-budget week. I seem to run every other week higher, and the whole salmon is coming in next week so that will bring my food bill up! :)
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Daily Menu
Breakfast
Non-fat latte
Strawberries
Lunch
Chili
1 oz. grated smoked sharp cheddar from Spring Hill Jersey Cheese (this stuff is AMAZING - such a deep, rich, smoky flavor that a little goes a long way! (3 PT)
Whole wheat couscous
Dinner
Grilled eggplant stacks (1/2 oz. goat cheese and sauce - 2 PT)
Corn on the cob
Tomato-basil salad
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 5
WPA points available: 34
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+ (it's a veggie-heavy day!)
2. Whole grains - couscous
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes (beef and beans in chili, milk and cheese)
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
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