Saturday Stride to Santa Monica!

Well gang I made it back to Venice Beach to use my vouchers for the StreetStrider bikes.  It was alot better this time!  The lady gave us 8 speed bikes as opposed to the 3 speed bikes.  The 8 speeds are definately easier to ride!  I had a really good time.  We rode from Venice Beach past the Santa Monica Pier.  Round Trip I believe its like 4 miles!

Tried a new recipe today.  It's my variation of the Cold Tomato Summer Vegetable Soup Recipe.   The Recipe is below.  The recipe seems simple, but it was time consuming to cut all the veggies.  I tried to stick everything in the food processor, but I only have a 3 cup processor.  So that added to my slowness.  So far I like it.  the receipe indicates it taste better the day aftter.  So I will try it tomorrow and see how everything thing taste once all the seasonings mingle.

Cold Tomato Summer Vegetable Soup Recipe

Note, dad says to chop the zucchini finer than what is pictured in the photo.

Ingredients

• 6 fresh, ripe tomatoes, seeds removed (cut tomatoes in half, squeeze out seeds into a sieve over a bowl to catch the juice, use the juice, discard the seeds), chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped fine
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped fine (left out)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped fine (left out)
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons sugar (left out)
• 2 zucchini, chopped fine
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped fine
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups tomato juice (in addition to the juice made when you squeezed the tomatoes above)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (left out)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar (used apple cider vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or pinch of dry)
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (left out)
• Hot sauce if needed (used chili pepper flakes)

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Use the additional tomato juice to thin the soup to desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste. Better the next day.
Serves 8.

Breakfast
     Scrambled Egss W/ spinach
     Black coffee w/ french vanilla creamer

Lunch
     Salad (spinach, lettuce, tomatoes)

Dinner
     Salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, salsa, gaucamole)

Snacks
     Cucumber w/ lemon juice & gaucamole

Workout
     1 hr StreetRider...4 miles completed

Tonight we had game night at church I had fun  We played scrabble, spades, trouble, and just talked and joked around.  It was good times.  It was nice to hang out and still be able to eat healthy.  I probably ate more salad & gaucamole than I should have, but at least it was healthy eats! 

That is all for today.  Talk to you later!