Meal Prepping

By Lisa VanWilliams

Chris Powell (personal trainer) is always posting his meal preps on Instagram. He says, "Yes, another meal prep picture :) Only reason is to show ya'll the frequency for meal prep. Every week! Get into this groove, and it puts you in total control of your transformation". https://www.instagram.com/p/BHWEG2ZDLLK/

Today I cooked for a client who likes low carb meals and he likes to keep extra protein on hand. I made him 24 meals with vegetable sides included, a salad for the week, a fruit salad for the week, and 14 extra pieces of grilled chicken to have on hand for snacking in between meals. He will eat these meals over the course of the next 2 weeks. Having healthy options ready to go for your consumption at any given time makes eating healthy easier. I know sometimes I will panic when I'm starving and I still need to actually cook something, and having meals on hands helps eliminate that panic. Having prepped food on hand also might stop me from ordering out, or eating something quick,easy, and processed.

For my family, we tend do only do a few meals in advance because I do not like frozen food, and I prefer fresh new options. I can't do leftovers for 3 days in a row :) I keep chicken salad on hand, fresh fruit, and sliced turkey for panic hungry mode. It all about your preferences and making is easy for yourself to make better choices.

Here's to today's menu to give you some ideas for healthy low carb meal prepping options:

Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies
http://juliasalbum.com/2016/06/one-pan-pesto-chicken-and-veggies/

Buttered Brussels Sprouts - done with browned butter
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/buttered-brussels-sprouts-102575

Baked Dijon Salmon
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/21176/baked-dijon-salmon/

Bok Choy and Green Onions
https://www.atkins.com/recipes/bok-choy-and-green-onions/1310

Herbed Lamb Chops w Greek Couscous Salad
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/248917/herbed-lamb-chops-with-greek-couscous-salad/

Balsamic Rosemary Roasted Vegetables
http://www.oatmealwithafork.com/2014/04/21/balsamic-rosemary-roasted-vegetables-vegan-grain-free/

We also made a batch of Chipotle Peppered Chicken and Mojito Lime Chicken. Just portioned out pieces of chicken marinated in McCormick Grill Mates. http://www.mccormick.com/grill-mates/flavors/marinades

Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival 2016

It was another incredible year at the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival 2016! This was the 11th year running and they definitely have it down. It has to be one of the best festivals in the country. The lawn at Marble House overflowed with incredible foods and wines from around the world. Once again this year, Nobilo Wine from New Zealand was the tent to be at. DJ Face Show based out of Rhode Island had the place jamming! The lawn was getting cut up by beautiful ladies as the men in pastels watched, and the wine was flowing like waterfalls all around. The backdrop of the ocean view one way and Marble House view the other way, never disappoints.The day flew by and we look forward to attending this wonderful event again. If you are into food and wine, this is an event you need to get to at least once. Thank you to the Preservation Society of Newport County for having us. http://www.newportmansions.org/events/wine-and-food-festival

Here are some pics from the beautiful day:

Welcoming Crew!

We started with this from Two Ten Oyster Bar & Grill out of South Kingston, RI:
http://www.twotenobg.com

Lamb Chops

Amish Style beetroot pickled egg w orange, habanero, & crispy garlic drizzle

This was from BRIX out of Newport, RI : http://www.newportvineyards.com/brix-restaurant/menu

Beautiful cheeses from Arethusa Farm out of Litchfield, CT : http://arethusafarm.com/

Great wine to try out of Sonoma County: http://www.ferrari-carano.com/

New Kitchen Aid Pro Line Series Blender $629.99
Kitchen Aid: http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/countertop-appliances-1/countertop-appliances-2/blenders-3/-[KSB7068FP]-5745096/KSB7068FP/

Greenwich Wine + Food Festival 2016

By Lisa VanWilliams

The sixth annual Greenwich Wine + Food Festival held at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park was bustling with activity this weekend and we had the pleasure to check it out on Saturday. There were soooo many participants we did not get a chance to try them all. We tried our best to check out as many as we could and here were a few of our favorites from the afternoon. Thanks Serendipity for presenting such a great event.

Executive Chef Bill Rosenburg, Executive Chef at NoMa Social in New Rochelle created one of the best tapas we tasted at the event. It was a fried seafood tapa with a cold corn chowder.
http://www.nomasocial.com/

Fjord Fish Market with locations in Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport, & Darien had incredible Raw Salmon with Spicy Mayo Sauce.
http://www.fjordfishmarket.com/home

Meatball & Co. out of Darien, CT has a little meatball and a tiny piece of garlic bread heaven. I might have to stop by this place when I'm in town. http://www.meatballandco.com/

Citarella out of Greenwich, CT was handing out these tasty numbers. It tasted like a lasagna moussaka. https://www.citarella.com/

Fruend's Farm from East Canaan, Ct works with Cabot to help make great cheeses from CT !!
http://www.freundsfarmmarket.com/

Le Pain Quotidien of Greenwich, CT had Mini Belgian Brownies that were on point. Rich and decadent, great way to finish off the tastings. http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

Other pics from the day:

Ziggy Marley at book signing

Greenwich Food + Wine Festival

It's a double header this weekend in New England with two MAJOR wine and food festivals going on as we enter into the Autumn season, and we are hitting them both up! The sixth annual GREENWICH FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL, presented by Serendipity Magazine is going on this weekend Sept 23-24th and there's still time to get your tickets.

Food, wine and Ziggy Marley on a Saturday night? Sign me up please! We have never been to the Greenwich Festival and we are really looking forward to checking it all and tasting some delectable creations from some of Connecticut & New York most innovative chefs.

To find out more and purchase tickets, please go to:
http://serendipitysocial.com/greenwich-wine-food/tickets/

Photos courtesy of SERENDIPITY Magazine.

Here are some of the press releases a few details:

The sixth annual GREENWICH WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL, presented by Serendipity magazine (www.serendipitysocial.com) and benefitting Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,Wholesome Wave and The Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation, is now just 4 days away, and with ticket sales open, event organizers have announced some exciting additions to this year’s event:

·      Friday’s Master Chef Dinner, hosted by Adam Richman, will feature the 2016 class of Most Innovative Chefs serving their signature dishes.  In addition to the previously announced 10 chefs, Gregori Pena and Eric Haugen of The National in Greenwich, have been announced.  Confirmed Ambassador Chefs who will also be serving up their favorite dishes include Jes Bengston (Brick and Wood), Rui Correia (Douro, Gaia), Samantha Mittler (The Dessertist), Stephen Lewandowski (Harlan Social), Christian Petroni (Fortina), Nadia Ramsey (Meli-Melo) and David Snyder (Char).

·      Celebrity chefs Alex Guarnaschelli (“Chopped,” “Iron Chef,” Food Network’s “All-Star Academy”) and Marc Murphy (Executive Chef of Landmarc restaurant at the Time Warner Center, “Iron Chef,” “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “Beat Bobby Flay”) have been added to this year’s line-up of celebrity chef participants, and both will be special guests at the Saturday Michel Nischan VIP Sustainable Dinner.  Rui Correia (Douro, Gaia) will be the Master of Ceremonies.

·      FREE parking will be available on Saturday at Greenwich Plaza and at the Horseneck Lane Commuter Parking Lot, with guest shuttles sponsored by The Ashforth Company.

Tickets are now on sale via www.greenwichwineandfood.com or by calling 203-588-1363.  Options are as follows:

·      Friday’s Master Chef Dinner, hosted by Adam Richman with live music by The Bacon Brothers:  $325.00 per ticket.

·      Saturday All-Day Pass, including admission to the Grand Tasting Tent, cooking demonstrations, celebrity bookstore, Top Bartender Showdown, Burger Battle, Grill Master Tent, Taco Party! and lawn seating to co-headliners Ziggy Marley and Old Crow Medicine Show:  $150.00 per ticket.

·      All-In VIP Weekend Pass includes admission to Friday’s Master Chef Dinner and a VIP Pass for Saturday, which includes access to the Sustainable Dinner:   $600.00 per ticket.

·      Saturday VIP Pass with Intimate Dinner featuring Marcus Samuelsson and Red Rooster Harlem includes access to all events and areas of Saturday’s festival, VIP parking and restrooms, all-day access to the full bar in the VIP tent, Samuelsson’s private dinner and private seating for the evening’s main stage musical entertainment:  $450.00 per ticket for lawn table seating; $4,000 for a lawn table of ten; $525.00 per ticket for on-stage table seating; $5,000 for an on-stage table of ten.

·      VIP Festival All-Day Pass with Sustainable Dinner includes access to all events and areas of Saturday’s festival, VIP parking and restrooms, all-day access to the full bar in the VIP tent, Nischan and friends’ dinner and VIP viewing for the evening’s main stage musical entertainment:  $375.00 per ticket.

The event’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/GreenwichwinefoodFestival, and website will also continue to post event news, restaurant participants and schedule updates over the coming weeks.

The event will be held rain or shine, and anyone under 21, including infants and those with strollers, will not be admitted. Animals are also not permitted.

Ziggy Marley and Old Crow Medicine Show to Co-Headline

at the Saturday Festival

The Bacon Brothers to Perform at Master Chef Dinner with Adam Richman

Celebrity Chefs Featured Throughout the Festival Include Michel Nischan and Marcus Samuelsson

Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival

Now's the time to get your tickets for the Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival being held September 22-25, 2016 at The Elms, Rosecliff, and Marble House. Enjoy the day, or the whole weekend filled with hundreds of fabulous wines from around the world, exquisite food from local, regional and national chefs & artisanal food purveyors, and much more! This is the 11th year the event has been taking place. 

To find out more about the event, and to purchase tickets, please go to: www.NewportMansionsWineAndFood.org

Details from the press release are here:

The festivities kick off on Thursday, September 22 with The Bordeaux Dinner at The Elms hosted by Bordeaux expert and wine educator Robin Kelley O’Connor. Mr O’Connor has been inducted into the wine world’s most prestigious institutions, including the Commanderie du Bontemps de Médoc- des Graves et de Sauternes-Barsac, the Jurade de Saint-Emilion and Les Hospitaliers de Pomerol. Exquisite wines from four different appellations of Bordeaux will be presented at this dinner to complement the menu created by Executive Chef Frank McClelland of L’Espalier in Boston. Tickets are limited.

The elegant Friday night Wine & Rosecliff Gala will feature exquisite wines, award-winning chefs, live music and dancing in the Rosecliff ballroom. Chefs for the evening include: Chef Matthew MacCartney of Jamestown Fish (Jamestown, RI), Chef Brian Alberg of Red Lion Inn (Stockbridge, MA), Chef David Blessing of Newport Beach House: A Longwood Venue (Newport, RI), Chef Thomas Duffy of The Spiced Pear at The Chanler (Newport, RI), Chef Terence Feury of Forty 1˚ North (Newport, RI), Chef Josue Louis of Bistro du Midi (Boston, MA), Chef Lou Rossi of Castle Hill Inn (Newport, RI), Chef Shaun Velez of Deuxave (Boston, MA), Chef Will Gilson of Puritan & Co. (Cambridge, MA), Chef Robert Sisca of ProvidenceG (Providence, RI), Chef Kevin O’Donnell of SRV (Boston, MA), Chef Peter Quinion of Parsnip (Cambridge, MA), and Chef Jason Santos of Abby Lane (Boston, MA).

Wine & Rosecliff featured wines include Azienda Agricola C.O.S.; Belcanto; Bodega Catena Zapata; Cain Vineyard & Winery; Castello Banfi Vintners; Champagne Gosset; Champagne Taittinger; Chateau de Beaucastel; Chateau d'Esclans; Chateau Talbot; Coudoulet de Beaucastel; Domaine Faiveley; Elk Cove Vineyards; Finca El Refugio; Graham's Port; HALL Wines; Joseph Phelps Vineyards; Larkin Wines; Marchesi di Barolo; Overture by Opus One; Robert Mondavi Winery; Verum; WALT Wines; Weingut S.A. Prum.

Once again, the Marble House lawn will be the setting for the two-day Grand Tastings, which offer guests an afternoon of entertainment, as well as the opportunity to sample hundreds of wines from around the world and cuisine from local, regional and national restaurants and purveyors. This lively event includes the Nobilo Oyster Seaside Bar, Pop Up Tastings in the Chinese Tea House, and non-stop chef entertainment in the Lynx & Rosé Grill Garden presented by Château D’Esclans and Lynx Grills.


The Presenting Sponsor of the 2016 Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival is FOOD & WINE Magazine. Additional sponsors include National Trust Insurance Services, Kitchen Aid, Champagne Taittinger, Lynx Grills, Vantage Deluxe World Travel, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Robert Mondavi Winery, Nobilo Wines, Alta Vista Estate Vineyards, Sequoia Grove, Atria Senior Living, José Cuervo, Hennessy Cognac, Coca Cola Bottling Company of Southeastern New England, United Airlines, Forty 1˚ North, Dole & Bailey, Nestle Waters North America, Estrella Damm, William Grant & Sons and Calvisius Caviar.


Proceeds from the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival benefit The Preservation Society of Newport County, a non-profit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties—seven of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.