Hey, It’s OK!

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… to have salad and chocolate cake for dinner – sometimes!

So says well-read Jessie.

Case in point:

After a long morning of browsing the stacks at a library book sale (see above) and a very late lunch, I had a hard time even THINKING about dinner. I decided to eat what my body was craving at dinnertime: an enormous bowl of veggies with egg.

I steamed some carrots and threw them over a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red peppers (fresh from our deck!), then topped the veggies with a poached egg and Amy’s Goddess dressing. I must have been deficient in micronutrients because I felt much better after eating this salad (I also need to empty the fridge of perishables). Lately I haven’t been taking advantage of summer’s fresh fruits and veggies, which is silly. We need to eat vitamin-rich fruits and veggies every 4 to 6 hours to take advantage of their antioxidant properties, so I will be making more of an effort to include these nutrient powerhouses in my diet.

That said, I knew I had to try a little of the chocolate cake we bought yesterday for dessert. This chocolate cake is from Billy’s Bakery in Fairfield, CT and it is the most decadent mousse cake I’ve ever eaten.

Look at that glassy ganache frosting!

You gotta really like chocolate to enjoy this cake. A little goes a loooong way. While I won’t make a regular habit of veggies and chocolate cake for dessert, it was a nice treat.

Hmm, these food pictures are pretty disappointing: no natural light, the glare of overhead 60 watts apparent. Let’s look at some gorgeous island pictures instead:

Q: Do you get your 5 A Day? How do you incorporate fruits and veggies in your meals and snacks?

21 Comments

  1. Oh….that’s really beautiful video – the snorkeling is so much fun with so many colorful creatures around you 🙂 lucky girl!!!! Hope you enjoy you the wonderland !

  2. now that chocolate cake looks deadly but delicious! I can see a small piece would be perfect…and I certainly wouldn’t mind watching the sun set from that dock, it looks amazing! Thanks for sharing the chocolate and the sunset!

  3. I am sort of distracted by the chocolate cake, it looks SO delicious! Nothing wrong with salad and chocolate for dinner, I can’t think of a better combination!

    I have no trouble getting in 5+ day since I mostly only eat fruits and veggies anyway. Especially in the summer when everything is so tasty!

  4. Nothing wrong with giving your body what it craves :-P. This actually reminds me of a question I was going to ask you. So is it worse to not eat breakfast at all, or have a really bad breakfast of let’s say chocolate chip cookies and pop? Yes, I’ve done that and then felt really guilty later. Gary and I had an appointment to get to and it took longer taking care of the kiddies than expected. By the time they were fed (a real breakfast) we had no time to eat. I didn’t want my stomach growling during the appointment so I grabbed some cookies and a pop. So ashamed, but I can’t function w/o food haha. So what’s your honest opinion?

    Ok, I can’t get over how rich, smooth and chocolatey that cake looks. You’re almost tempting me to have a bad breakfast again, noooo…..

    Those are beautiful pictures, so peaceful looking, something I’m not used to these days, lol.

    I have no problem getting veggies into my diet as I’m not much of a meat lover. I’ll eat any veggie raw or cooked (except raw celery and tomatoes). Have a lovely weekend my dear 😀

  5. Wow! That cake looks amazing. I definitely try to get my 5 a day but there are days when it doesn’t happen. I notice that at work, I tend to eat closer to my 5 because I think about it ahead of time (versus on the weekend).

  6. When I’m at home, I have no problem downing down much fruit, because my mom always cuts them up in the morning and forces me to eat them. lol. Cake and salad? Sounds like the perfect dinner to me. Well balanced, too, indeed. 🙂

  7. Nothing wrong with some chocolate cake now and then! It looks so good.
    Yes, I definitely get my 5 a day plus more. I eat a lot of salads and green smoothies and raw veggies. I also eat fruit. I usually eat my fruit on its own, or on top of oats. Veggies are either plain and raw, or with some salad dressing. I’m not very creative, but I’m totally satisfied with this. Every once in a while I’ll shake things up and do something crazy (like nut butter crusted carrot fries- so good!). Those pictures at the end are beautiful.
    Hope you have a great weekend!
    xoxo

  8. You know. They do say that chocolate is chock full of antioxidants as well. Plus it’s good for the soul. And that’s more than I can say for carrots 😛

  9. That cake looks heavenly!! I don’t usually have a problem getting in 5+ a day! But on days that I don’t get it all in, I don’t stress b/c it’s just one day and it’s what we do most that matters!! 🙂

  10. Mmm, scrumptious looking cake! But even more importantly, I’m wondering what books you got! I looove book sales, it’s so much fun to look and try to stumble upon a treasure or two 🙂 Summer is the best for reading too – you can sit outside with a cold beverage, soak up some sun, feel a cool breeze…sooo relaxing. Have an awesome weekend!

  11. I like a small light piece of coffee cake from time to time, but most of the time my favourite desserts are very decadent. Almost over the top. Just say chocolate ganache and I’m sold.

  12. I’m afraid I really can’t answer your question Jessie.

    *silence*

    *Hyena-like guffaws in the distance*

    In all seriousness, there was a period of time when I was concerned about the 5 to 10 a day rule. I literally thought: But if I eat more than 10 a day, does that mean I’m overdosing? Can too many vegetables be toxic?

    I never really figured out the answer. I think I just ended up not caring. If it is toxic though, then I must be an incredibly toxic girl.

    xo Aletheia

    P.S. I totally just had strawberry short-cake with carrots and cucumbers last week! CAKE + VEGGIES = AWESOME! And I officially discovered that whipped cream makes the best dip for baby carrots. Too bad I’m not kidding!

  13. What a delicious piece of chocolate cake. I haven’t had a piece in ages, I think I need some ASAP 🙂

    I love salads so I make a salad every day and also snack a lot on carrots / cauliflower / cucumber and think the amount of veggies I eat is enough. One could ALWAYS eat more, though 🙂

    Fruits are a bit harder but now I try to bring a fruit or two with me to work every day.

  14. the icing is so thick on there!!! i have cake for breakfast sometimes so having a salad and chocolate for dinner totally is a good combo in my opinion <3

  15. I thought the food pics looked good. I try to make fruits and veggies the central part of my diet. I just feel much better these days.

  16. That cake looks heavenly!! And I probably would eat a bowl full of veggies even if I was really hungry — just so I’d have room for that cake! I say there’s nothing wrong with keeping dinner simple for a rich dessert now and then.

    I don’t really think I have a problem getting enough fruits and veggies. They are typically the base for every meal I make, so I don’t even have to think about it. The exception has been this past week. I was packing to move all week so was trying not to grocery shop and just got into my apartment last night. As a result, I am majorly low on fresh fruits and veggies. My body feels different when I don’t get enough and I start craving them to the point where nothing else seems appetizing. I guess it’s a good thing that sometimes my body actually craves health food, and not just chocolate mousse cake. 😉

  17. I completely agree…life is all about balance, right? 😉 I like to start the day with a fruit & veggie shake or a bowl of oatmeal incorporating fruit & veggies (carrot cake oats are a favorite!). That way I’m starting off the day on the right foot, which I find sets the mood for my eating throught the rest of the day.

  18. If I didn’t love smoothies so much I’d have a hard time getting my fruits and veggies in. Since I do though I probably eat double what I need.

  19. I think I do a pretty good job getting my daily doses of fruits and veggies. With every meal I incorporate a fruit/veggies, life just wouldn’t be complete!

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