Last Thursday was just about the best way to kick off my mini vacation and Fitbloggin getaway. It started bright and early with a hike up in Frederick, Maryland with Lauren.
Lauren took me on a killer, hilly hike which in the end covered roughly 4 miles. The hike was a great workout and gave Lauren and I some time to talk before heading to Fitbloggin in Baltimore, Maryland.
After the hike, Lauren and I headed back to her house for showers and breakfast. Lauren has some amazing breakfast foods (You’ve got to check out her oatmeal on her blog) and I decided to have P28 bread with Justin’s vanilla almond butter and banana. Yumm-o!
Being able to attend Fitbloggin was an absolute blessing. I attended Healthy Living Summit back in 2011 but had heard that Fitbloggin was a much more inviting, active, and motivating conference. From what I had heard Fitbloggin was a conference open to anyone; bloggers, non-bloggers, and people of any shape, size, and/or sex! It. Was. True!
Before the conference actually started, a number of bloggers headed over to McCormick for a lunch and tour of their kitchen and lab at the Technical Innovation Center.
The very first person I met at Fitbloggin was Danielle from Elley Exposed, an absolutely amazing and wonderful woman from LA — Be sure to check out her blog!
Dr. Wendy Bazillian shared some extremely interesting and eye opening statements during our lunch at McCormick.
-66% believe that the foods they eat make a statement about their personal values.
-Less than 1/3 of US adults are at a healthy weight
-2/3 of adults want to know what to eat instead of what not to eat
-Cooking at home means exploring flavor, saving money, being healthier, and having fun together
-80% of adults fall short on the daily recommendations for fruits and vegetables
Something magical happened while I was listening to these statistics and statements and eating the delicious McCormick spice inspired dishes… I realized how fulfilling foods, healthy foods, are when you spice them up and layer the flavors!
Now spice doesn’t mean heat, it means flavor! Would you rather eat plain cauliflower or Turmeric (or curry) Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes?? Sign me up for the Turmeric! So the question is, how can you add flavor to your foods through spices in order to spark your interest, ignite your taste buds, and satisfy your cravings?
Your challenge for this weekend is to look inside your spice cabinet and to find one spice that you can integrate into your cooking this week. Maybe that means looking up recipes that use that spice or bringing back a dish you haven’t had in a while. Even trying a different spice on meat or tofu can completely change a dish.
This week I am going to make lean steak for Neal and I with Monterrey Spicy McCormick Seasoning and some spicy carrots on the side.
What spice are you going to use/try this week?
