What's to Eat this Week?: Costa Rican Cuisine

(White Sangria on the deck at Hotel Si Como No overlooking the Pacific Ocean)

We are travelling this week, so I am not doing any cooking!  However, I thought it would be fun to share some of the wonderful food we have enjoyed while exploring Costa Rica!  I did my best to get some decent pictures, but they were all with my phone and the lighting was poor in most places, but I do hope you enjoy seeing them!

The picture above is of a delicious Citrus Beet Salad I had the first night we arrived.  We stayed at the most amazing place called The Peace Lodge (www.waterfallgardens.com). The main restaurant where I had this fabulous salad is The Vista Poas named for the volcano that is close by.  My salad was mixed greens, arugula, feta, orange slices, cashews, and roasted beets drizzled with orange-lime vinegarette.  It was so refreshing after a long day travelling and eating some not-so-healthy airplane food. 

The Peace Lodge is located on the grounds of the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, which attracts many day visitors so there are two additional places to eat on the property.  We spent one morning touring the butterfly and hummingbird gardens.  Then, we had lunch at the Big Trout Bar.  Pictured above, is the spicy Bloody Mary I had!  It had cracked black pepper and fresh lime juice and was served ice cold.  It was fantastic!

I would have loved to have another Bloody Mary for my entree, but we were going to hike the waterfalls, so I needed nourishment!  Pictured above are the Chicken Tacos I had at the Big Trout Bar. They were filled with chicken, beans, and cheese, then deep fried and served over traditional Costa Rican style slaw.  I did not expect them to be deep fried when I ordered them, so not my healthiest choice, but it was worth it!

(The giant trout pond in front of Big Trout Bar, where you can catch & release trout or catch them and have them cooked for you.)

After leaving the Peace Lodge, we spent two days in La Fortuna, home of the Arenal Volcano (pictured below).

We ate at a wonderful local establishment one night: Los Nenes

They are known for their Ceviche, so that was the first thing we ordered.

This picture is not the best, but the Ceviche was wonderful. It was so fresh and had just the right amount of lime and cilantro.  It was served with fried plantain chips, which was the perfect accompaniment!  My entree that night was the special: Steamed Tilapia stuffed with tomatoes, cheese, and potatoes served with a side of veggies.  I did not get a decent picture of it, but I wish I had!  The waiter brought it to me wrapped in foil and flaming!  He put the flames out once it was in front of me, then he cut the foil open.  I have no idea why I did not expect this ( Knowing I should always ask!), but it was the whole fish, head and skin still on, which is usually not for me.  However, when in Rome ( or Costa Rica), I didn't bat an eye, quickly removed the head and the skin peeled off very easily.  It was incredible, fresh, light, and flaky served with a garlic butter sauce which was phenomenal!!

Here I am, not a good picture, but 2 lessons learned: 1. Always ask if it is a whole fish for anyone that this might bother 2. It no longer bothers me that it is the whole fish, as the taste is well worth it!  My husband had the Camarones (shrimp) kebabs with garlic and butter, which he really enjoyed (pictured below).

Last, here is a picture of my daughter enjoying a piece of Tres Leches Cake!   

We are having a wonderful week, a great adventure with lots of hiking and enjoying some unique food!  I hope you are having a great week and please let me know if you have any questions about the places I have mentioned above!  As they say in Costa Rica: Pura Vida!

Ironman Mont Tremblant Training- Week #14

I just completed Week #14 of training for Ironman Mont Tremblant.  The week went ok, not quite as planned, but I did get all of my workouts in, except one!  Here is the recap:

-Monday: "Unintentional Rest Day"-  I was supposed to do a 45 minute run, which I planned on doing in the morning before work, but when the alarm rang at 5am, I did some quick rationalization that I would get off work early and do the run.  Of course, the day fell apart at work and I barely got out in time to get my daughter to ballet!    I was a little aggravated with myself about skipping this due to poor planning, as there was no other day to really "squeeze" this one in.  I could not help but think of this quote by Jim Rohn:

This does not only apply to running, but just about every aspect of life and I seem to remind myself of this quote more frequently than I would like!

-Tuesday: My Brick Day!  I know I have been putting in a lot of training hours, as my immediate thought when looking at my scheduled ride/run was:  "A short one this week, just 3 hours!".    I decided to do the Challenge Quassy Half Ironman bike course on my trainer, as I will be doing the actual race in June.  Here is what it looked like:

It is a very hilly course and I only made it through 40.1 miles (in 2 hours 45 minutes) of the 56 mile ride before it was time for my 15 minute transition run.  I know I have a lot of work to do here when it comes to speed so it does not take my forever on race day!  However, I did feel good during this ride, it went by quick & my transition run felt good!

-Wednesday: I typically do a cycling class this day, but decided to do my long run and a swim due to my schedule for the remainder of the week.  I have to admit, I dreaded doing this run and I procrastinated getting out the door.  I finally left myself with just enough time to get it done before picking up the kids as they had a half day at school.  I got myself out the door and ended up having a great run!  The miles ticked away and before I knew it, 11 miles were done at a decent pace for me.  It was a beautiful day here in Maine and I felt great at the end!  

After my run, I had planned on doing an 1800 yard swim, but only ended up getting 1500 yards in due to timing.  The swim felt good on my legs after the long run, but I felt guilty I had to cut it short!

-Thursday: I did an Interval Bike workout, which was tough, but I got through all of the intervals successfully and was very happy at the end! (This was "Downward Spiral" on the Cycleops App)

I got off the bike and immediately headed to the pool for my long swim: 2950 yards.  This was the longest swim so far in my training.  I had a hard time wrapping my head around it, but ultimately just forced myself to get it done!  I started with 1000 yards easy, 100 yard drill, 6 x 150@ 3:00, 6 x 75@ 1:30, then 500 easy.  I was pleased to hit all of the intervals, but it was not fun for me.  I would have preferred to get in the pool and just straight swim the 2, 950 yards, but I know the intervals will help me get a little faster!

-Friday: 6 mile Threshold Run- the workout was supposed to be a warm-up, then hold a 9:16 pace for the run.  I did not think I would have any trouble with this, but my tired legs did not want to cooperate with my brain!  The first 2 miles were miserable, despite doing a a good warm-up.  Mile 1= 9:32, Mile 2= 9:54, Mile 3= 9:16 ( at this point, I had finally warmed up!), Mile 4= 9:17, Mile 5= 8:58, then Mile 6= 8:35 for an average pace of 9:15 mph.    The first 2 miles were so miserable and I could not get my speed up, I was considering aborting the run and felt really frustrated, then by the end of mile 3, I felt better, but resigned myself to not hitting the 9:16 average pace.  However, after mile 4, I felt like a million bucks and just pushed hard!  Running, above all, is such an intense series of mental games... I love it, I hate it, but when I am done with a run...despite how it turns out, I always walk away knowing a little bit more about myself!

-Saturday: I had a delusion of getting up at 4 am to complete that 45 minute run (that I missed on Monday) before heading out to my 10+ hour shift at the hospital, but I chose sleep, and I do not regret it!

-Sunday: Easter!  We had several family activities planned and I was not sure if I would get anything in, but I was able to do my 1 hour scheduled Interval Ride.  My legs were very tired from the week, but I got it done!  Then, I enjoyed the rest of the day with my family!  Happy Easter!!

I will be participating in #MotivateMe Linkup on Mondays hosted by: FitnessCheerleader.com and RunningRachel.com  It is a great way to connect with other people for accountability and encouragement to reach your fitness goals, so check it out!

Have a Healthy, Fun, & Fit Week!

-Angela

What's to Eat Wednesday?: Asparagus wrapped with Prosciutto and BakedHaddock

I am always trying to find ways to get my kids to eat their veggies and sometimes a little "costume" goes a long way, here is a favorite: Apsaragus wrapped with prosciutto! My kids eat these dressed-up asparagus spears almost as enthusiastically as french fries! The crispy texture of the prosciutto paired with the asparagus make a flavorful combination! Thie asparagus along with baked haddock is a quick & easy week night meal, but it is also delicious and kid friendly.

Here is what you will need to make dinner for 4:

-ASPARAGUS:
-1 Bunch of Asparagus (approx. 1 1/4 lbs.)
-Olive Oil Spray
-6 ounces of Prosciutto
-Coarse Black Pepper (optional)

-BAKED HADDOCK:
-1 1/4 lbs. of Haddock
-1 small Lemon thinly sliced
-1/2 small Onion thinly sliced
-Old Bay Seasoning (approx. 2 tsp)
-2 Tbsp melted Butter

I prepare the asparagus first, then turn the oven temperature down to bake the haddock, or if you have double ovens (lucky you!), you can put them in at the same time!

-ASPARAGUS:
1. Place rack in Broiler position in top of oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
2 Spray rimmed Baking sheet with Cooking Spray or Olive Oil Spray
3. Cut Bottom Ends off of Asparagus

4. Make bundles of 3 to 4 Asparagus Spears (depending upon size, if the spears are large, make the bundles smaller)
5. Tear Prosciutto Slices in half and wrap around the Asparagus bundles. (*The prosciutto can be finicky and will not always tear evenly, but no matter how the bundles look when wrapped, they turn out delicious!).

6. Once all of the Asparagus is wrapped and on baking sheet, Spray lightly with Olive Oil and if you desire, sprinkle with coarse black pepper.

(Olive Oil Spray I use pictured above)

7. Broil on top rack of oven for 10 minutes...if you remember, turn them over after 5 minutes for more even cooking, but they taste great even if you forget!

-HADDOCK:
1. Turn oven temp down to 350 degrees and move rack to Center of oven
2. Spray rimmed baking pan or 13x9 glass baking dish with Olive Oil (or Cooking Spray)
3. Place Haddock in dish or pan and brush with 1 Tbsp of melted butter
4. Place thin slices of onions on top of haddock
5. Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning as desired
6. Next, place thinly sliced lemons on top of Haddock with onion slices

7. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of Butter (but if cutting calories you can omit the extra butter)
8. Bake Haddock on Center rack of oven at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes

I like to serve the Haddock over a bed of jasmine rice or steamed spinach and place the asparagus on the side. (PS- I slide the Onions and Lemon off before serving to the Little Ones, but I leave them on for the adults!)

I am linking up this week with:  Tasty Tuesdays, #Recipe of the week, Lena's Tasty Tuesdays, Real Food Fridays, Allergy Free Wednesday, Waste Not Want, Gluten Free Friday, & Thursday Recipe Round-up

Angela