Hello, again, Daily Balance readers!

I’m back with a post a bit more lighthearted than my last. Today I’m venturing into previously uncharted blogging territory for me: FASHION!

Don’t get me wrong, I love fashion. Give me an InStyle magazine and I’ll be happy for hours as I salivate over its beautiful color combinations and classic designers. To me, fashion is art. The problem is that I have never been an artist.

As someone who has struggled with my weight for much of my life, I’ve always hidden behind basic black. Black cardigans, black turtlenecks, black tshirts, black dresses. You get the picture. Recently my sister staged an intervention and required that I incorporate some color into my wardrobe. I begrudgingly agreed.

To top it off, I’m broke. Right now I’m working on paying off my debt and so I have very little disposable income to become the fashion-forward person I’ve always envisioned myself to be. This January when I was riding the New Years Resolution wave, I made a goal that I would improve my fashion. To accomplish this, I channel my favorite bloggers like Shannon and jseverydayfashion.com and hit the clearance racks at the mall, Target, and TJ Maxx like it’s my job.

I’d like to share a couple of my favorite finds so far:

Hello bright blue! This look takes my favorite color and mixes in a pop of blue. The best part? The cardigan was $14 on clearance at Express.

When I go out, I almost always wear basic black. This dress was $6.49 on clearance at Target, but I think that with the addition of the skinny jeans and belt it looks pretty darn classy.

Those boots!? $10.99 at Target. I wanted a pair all season but acted responsibly and didn’t spend the money that wasn’t in my budget. I think the fashion gods rewarded my discipline by putting these originally $49.99 boots on a super duper sale at Target. The cardigan? A splurge at $16.99. Watch out for this big spender!

What do you guys think of these combos? To be honest, I was scared to write this post because I thought that people might tear apart my fashion choices. Then I realized that fear wasn’t getting me anywhere and so I took a chance. The reason: to encourage people like me that hide behind their weight, financial situation, or fear to just try it.

We all deserve to feel beautiful and if pretty clothes help us accomplish that, nothing should hold us back.

Thanks again, Shannon, for letting me guest post! It has been a pleasure. I hope you are enjoying the time with your Little. To everyone else: feel free to stop by a Whole Lot of Life anytime to say hi. I’d love to get to know you

In 2011, I have resolved to place more green things into my diet, and what better way of doing that than with some healthy green salads? The problem, of course, is that salads get pretty boring without some yummy mix-ins to liven things up! Tomatoes, mushrooms, croutons, parmesean cheese….all are pretty standard, but the one item that I really enjoy when I get a salad out is those delicious candied nuts that some of my favorite places sprinkle onto their salads. Determined to save some money, I decided to figure out how I could incorporate them into my salads that I make at home. I promise, it’s very easy.

You will need:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Nutmeg (optional)
• Cayenne pepper (optional)

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While it’s heating, combine a cup of unsalted walnuts (I buy mine in the bulk containers at the supermarket) with 1 tbsp of maple syrup in a small bowl, mixing until the nuts are evenly coated with the syrup.

Next, lightly spray a cookie sheet with olive oil, or spread out a silicone baking sheet (my new favorite kitchen gadget! No oil!) on top of your cookie sheet.

Distribute the nuts onto the cookie sheet, then sprinkle on some cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Sprinkle on a tiny bit of cayenne, if you want to try the spicy, sweet candied nuts!

Pop them in the heated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the syrup has hardened.

Remove them from the oven, and allow to cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

This recipe can be used with other nuts as well. My favorite is pecans! Enjoy on your salad, or serve them as a snack on their own, or use them atop a yummy cake!

Here are some tips that I found that helped me:

Include the baby in the workout! This is the best way to do it because then you don’t have to wait until nap time and then sacrifice your only free time for the day (which can be tough when the dishes are overflowing in the sink and the laundry pile is reaching Mt. Everest levels)

• Your stroller is your best friend for fitness with the baby. Even before you’re officially allowed to workout, take some easy strolls with your new baby (but try to get your husband to push the stroller so you don’t do too much!)
• As you heal, you can go further and faster with the stroller. You can even put some heavy books on the bottom of the stroller for added resistance if you’re feeling ambitious. Also, walking lunges with a stroller is a great workout, but your neighbors might think you’re nuts.
• Do ab workouts with the baby. If you make funny faces and noises, the baby will love helping you with your core work!
• Lay the baby on their back and do push-ups or planks over them. Again, funny faces and noises are your friend.

Let your husband help you! If you have a great husband like I do, he probably wants to help.  On the weekends, let him take over baby duty and go get a good workout! He may be a little uncomfortable at first being alone with the baby (especially if you’re home with the baby and he/she is used to things being done in a certain way), but it gets better. It may be hard to leave the baby at first, but that also gets better. Just make sure to thank your husband a lot when you get back, especially if the baby was super fussy while you were gone!

Be flexible! Some days you get your full workout, and other days you have to be creative. I have a treadmill and if the baby wakes up from her nap early, I have a baby swing next the treadmill so she can hang out while I finish up. She’s not always in the mood for that, but it usually works! Here are some non-traditional ways to get a little workout in:

• Squats with the baby in a carrier (like a Bjorn)
• Crunches while the baby has tummy time
• Dance with your baby (but only after they have good head control)
• If your baby is young, they’ll really like helping you vacuum. Put them in a carrier and go for it!

I have had a lot of success with using a jogging stroller. My baby likes the stroller and usually falls asleep during our runs. If you like running as your cardio, a jogging stroller is a great investment and perfect for days when the baby won’t take more than a 20 minute nap!

Remember that it took 9 months for your body to make a baby and your body needs some time to recover and bounce back. Don’t get discouraged if you miss a few days of working out for teething or another baby issue, you can always get back to it!

I talk a lot about working out while having a baby on my blog (itsadoglickbabylife.blogspot.com) so you can check that out for more tips and real life examples of making fitness work with a baby in the house!

When Shannon put out a call for guest posts as she adjusts to life with her little, I practically busted out a jig in my computer chair. You see, I’ve been reading the Daily Balance for almost a year and a half now. I’ve salivated over her easy recipes, taken a pause every week for Thankful Thursdays and incorporated her Fashion Friday ideas into my wardrobe. Hello layering! I’m practically hobnobbing with a celebrity by guest-posting on here.

About me:

I found the courage to start my blog, a Whole Lot of Life, in October 2010. Ever since, I’ve felt myself come alive as I blog about achieving my goals and discovering my passions. Today I’m excited to write about a topic near and dear to my heart: finding balance.

Usually, when you read about finding balance you’re either encouraged to use time management tips or cut out unnecessary commitments. Right?

My tip for finding true balance:

Remove the leeches from your life.

When I say leeches, I’m referring to people that take way more from your life than they give. They’re the people who invite you to dinner and spend the entire time talking about a bad relationship they’re in. Or, the people who everyone else seems to love but somehow make you feel bad about yourself every time you’re with them.

It’s unfortunate that these people exist. Trust me, I wish that every person I met could be as good to me as my bestie (and make me laugh just as hard):

Or show me selfless love like my sisters:

But, this is a cold world and life just isn’t perfect. Sometimes you can start a friendship with someone and realize they’re a leech. Before you know it, you’re pouring a ton of your time, energy, and compassion into a relationship that provides you very little in return. I’m here to tell you: you don’t have to be superman.

When you’re sure that a friendship/relationship is truly not right for you, do whatever you need to do to bow out. I recently had to make the decision to stop a friendship with someone that I had only known for a few months. Our friendship grew very quickly and as I got to know the individual better, I realized that I missed having my personal time and did not respect some of her personally traits.

I personally hate hurting people’s feelings as much as I hate confrontation, so I used my writing skills to send an email to her that clearly stated why I couldn’t be friends with her anymore and apologized for hurting her feelings. My reservations were validated when she responded with an angry email that was hurtful and attacking. I was right in ending my friendship and I learned an important lesson along the way.

Your time is a beautiful, wonderful gift that you should treasure. Spend it with people you love that help you grow into a better person. It does not make you selfish, cold, or rude to remove yourself from people who leech happiness out of your life.

Have the courage to stand up for yourself and your happiness. I promise, you won’t regret it once you make your move. You’ll actually be able to find true balance, which is what we’re all looking for, right?

Travel, Eat, Repeat is about finding a healthy balance while traveling. During two years of worldwide exploration before settling down to a real job, I learned lots of tricks for staying healthy and active no matter where you are, all while sticking to a tight budget.

Let’s start with my top healthy travel tip:

Be Flexible

A vacation is not the time to start a new diet. Be willing to adjust your daily food routine and adapt to the culture you’re visiting. If you normally eat oats for breakfast, try a simple French breakfast of bread, jam and coffee. If it sustains millions of French each day, it will sustain you, too. Pack some snacks – you never know when you’ll be stuck on a train without food for hours or head out for long a hike – but don’t bring the contents of your entire kitchen.

Go Grocery Shopping

Shop at grocery stores and markets to save money and get a glimpse at daily life. Even the cheapest youth hostel has a communal kitchen so when in Rome, visit the market for real Italian pasta, fresh produce and Parmigiano-Reggiano to enjoy an authentic Italian meal a fraction of restaurant price. That said, choose a few special meals to eat out. Don’t sacrifice enjoyment for the sake of a budget.

Get Moving and See the City for Free!

If you really want to experience a city up-close and personal, set out on foot. You have more flexibility to visit the places that you want to visit while sneaking in some exercise. Instead of taking the Tube from Regent’s Park to Hyde Park, walk! This 25-minute walk shows you London without tourists and incorporates a 1.2-mile stroll into your day.

Eat Like A Local

Local food is fresh food. See what the locals are eating and order that.

… Even If It Grosses You Out

How many times in your life have you been offered termites on a stick? (Belize) Duck heart on a skewer? (Korea) A kangaroo dog, gator nuggets and emu burger all on one platter? (Australia) It may sound icky but travel is all about experiences, right? Trying something new won’t kill you – unless it’s Japanese fugu (blowfish) – but might taste good and always makes a great story afterward.

Enjoy!

This is right up there with Be Flexible. You’re on vacation and it will be over before you know it. Eat dessert, have a glass or two of wine, sample street food (seriously, eat street food), try something you’d never touch at home and enjoy every minute of your travels.

Have any questions, tips or just want to connect with a fellow travel-loving foodie? Visit Travel, Eat, Repeat or shoot me an email at traveleatrepeat@gmail.com.

You’ve probably imagined your “dream” wedding at least a bazillion times since you were a kid. The dream is becoming a reality as your significant other has asked for your hand in marriage and you proudly said, “Yes!” The planning for the big day has begun; you’ve started working on invitations, you know who you want to be your bridesmaids, and you even know what kind of cake and flowers you want. One glaring task on your to-do list is whipping your body into shape for the big day. You have plenty of the time, the problem you have is that you really aren’t sure how to do it.

Put Goals to Paper

It is important to start off by creating a goal and putting it to paper. By creating a goal, you have a reason to get motivated which will set you up for success. Maybe you’ve had your eye on a certain wedding dress that you’d like to fit into or maybe you want to look as great as you can for your groom to be. Maybe you’ve got a bit of a wild side and bought a wedding dress with a mid-driff so you can show off your tight, sexy abs. If you want to create a new you, it is vital that you put the desire in writing.

Nutrition Is a Lifestyle, Not a Diet

You’ve set your goal and are ready to re-create a “sexy” you for the big day. Nutrition will play an important role in helping you reach that goal. Nutrition should always be looked at as a lifestyle and never a diet. You want to make smart food choices that can make your fitness goals attainable. Eating right doesn’t mean boring. You want to eat tasty foods but the right kinds and the right portions. To keep it simple. you should eat five or six small meals each day. This will keep your metabolism burning efficiently and keep your body properly fueled with nutrients throughout the day. By eating more meals that are smaller in portion, you feel satisfied and will avoid that bloated feeling that comes from over-eating. You’ll also put your body into fat burning mode. The smaller meals should be made up of clean foods and not junk like cookies, donuts and cake. You want to eat lean proteins, good fats and good carbohydrates to attain peak health and get you closer to a great body for your wedding.

Make sure and eat a lean protein and natural carbohydrates with each meal. You should also include a healthy source of fat in a few of the meals. Here are some examples of each:

• Lean proteins include egg whites, tuna, chicken, lean turkey, low fat dairy, lean beef and protein drinks
• Natural carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and whole wheat pastas
• Healthy fats include vegetable oils (soy, olive, and canola), fats from fresh water fish, and nuts,

To help stay motivated, use one day each week as a “free” eating day. On this day, you can take a few meals and eat your favorite foods whether they be ice cream, hamburgers, pizza, or whatever. On the other days of the week, eat cleanly. You’ll find that as you get into this lifestyle, your body will actually crave clean eating.

Exercise is The Other Key to The Equation

Like nutrition, exercise is key in helping you achieve your goal of a knockout body for your wedding. Training with weights and aerobic exercise should be used to help you build a little bit of muscle and help shape your body. By building muscle, you’ll increase your metabolism which will help burn excess fat. Train with weights at least 3 times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for instance). If you’ve never lifted weights, do some research on the Internet or hire a personal trainer to introduce you to some workout routines as well as the equipment in the weight room. The Internet is handy because there will be lots of videos that will show you how to do various exercises and as well as lots of free weight lifting programs geared towards women.

Aerobic exercise will help you burn more calories and help you reach your goal faster. Lengthy cardio sessions aren’t required. You only need thirty minutes of aerobic exercise two or three times a week. Also, aerobic exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be fun activities like swimming, jogging or walking with a friend, spinning, a dance class, or even playing sports.

Stay on Track

You’ll start fast and furious in the beginning. Staying with it is the tricky part. To keep from fizzling out, it is important to plan. Keep a log of your progress on both your eating and workouts. Try to make improvements each time you go to the gym. Try a new exercise that looked too difficult or add a little more weight to some of the exercises. Plan meals that you will eat for the week on your clean eating days. Planning your meals will make it easy to stick to the nutrition part. If you stay on track, you’ll have a wedding day to remember and everyone in attendance will be talking about how great you look.

I love to grill out on a weekend night with my fiance, and I think that grilling is a really fun thing for couples and/or friends to do together because grilling goes very smoothly when one person tends the grill and the other does the prep work.

Grilling is also a really fun way to get together with your friends. For a get together, you can throw a “BYOM” party- you provide refreshing beverages and a hot grill, and let your friends bring over meat (or other foods) to cook.

Personally, I enjoy the prep work more than the actually grilling, and over the years, I’ve come up with some pretty offbeat things for my fiance to gamely throw on the grill while I “supervise.” Today I’d like to share some of my favorites.

As a bonus, I’ll even throw in a quick cocktail idea that you can enjoy while grilling when you’re in the mood for something a little fancier than beer (or you can drink it while reading about grilling- I won’t tell!). Simply add fresh berries and/or pineapple chunks to glasses of Vinho Verde, a slightly sparkling Portuguese wine that is affordable (the one’s I’ve found are around $7 a bottle), refreshingly crisp, and perfect for summer. For a non-alcoholic version, you can use sparkling water or ginger-ale.

Grilled Peach Salad

First peel several peaches (one per serving) and slice them in half. Remove the pits, brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill over medium heat for 3 minutes per side.

While the peaches are grilling, make a quick salad dressing with equal parts lemon juice and olive oil (This is just a starting place- I like a really tart dressing. Adjust the proportions to suit your own tastes.) Add freshly ground black pepper to your dressing, and toss with salad greens (I prefer spring mix). Top each serving of salad with two grilled peach halves, a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, and, if you like, a couple slices of prosciutto.

Grilled Artichokes

This was one of my first successful grilling experiments. Prepare a large artichoke the way you normally would when you boil or steam them- cut the top inch or so off, cut off about 3/4 of the stem, and trim the sharp tips of the leaves. Cut the artichoke in half, and boil it in water with a squeeze of lemon juice for about 15 minutes. Using a spoon, scrape out the choke, which is the center part above the artichoke heart. It’s inedible, and looks like thistle down- discard it. rub the artichoke with olive oil and sprinkle it with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Anyone seeing a pattern here? Hint: if you cover something in olive oil, salt, and pepper, then grill it- chances are, it will be awesome.) Grill the artichoke cut side up for 10 minutes, then cut side down for 5 more minutes. Serve with Dijon mustard or garlic mayo (just stir a crushed garlic clove and a squeeze of lemon into some mayo).

Grilled Pizza

When I first told my fiance that I wanted to grill a pizza, he began prepping some BBQ chicken because he didn’t think that it would work. Little did he know!

First, obtain some raw pizza dough. I like to pick mine up from Whole Foods and just let it rise in a bowl in my kitchen for a couple of hours because I am lazy and it’s at least partially whole wheat, but you can make a pretty decent whole wheat dough with the recipe I’ll include below.

Once the dough is made, stretch it out on a cookie sheet that has been drizzled with olive oil. flip it over and make sure to get plenty of oil on both sides of the dough. Place the pizza directly on the grill over high heat. The pizza will quickly (within a minute or two) begin to bubble. Turn the pizza over and quickly top it with the toppings of your choice. It’s a good idea to keep your topping pretty simple- I like to use a base of a little tomato sauce, then do half fresh spinach and goat cheese, and half shredded mozzarella, prosciutto, and sliced tomatoes. I also love spinach, thinly sliced summer squash, and hunks of mozzarella. It’s also fun to crack an egg in the middle of your pizza and just grill it until the egg is done. Regardless of your topping, the pizza will be done in another minute or two, which is just about how long it will take your cheese to melt.

For a quick, healthy, homemade pizza dough, dissolve a package of yeast into a cup of warm water. Let it stand for a few minutes, until it looks kind of foamy. While your yeast is activating, place 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 tsp. of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add your yeast/water mixture, and 1 Tbsp. of honey. Mix well and let it rise in a warm place for about half an hour. Then, proceed with the directions above to grill your pizza.

Whole Grilled Fish

A few weeks ago, my fiance brought home some trout that he’d caught on a fishing trip. I thought he was crazy because instead of filleting the trout, he’d gutted them and removed the gills, but left them intact- heads and all! I was convinced that they wouldn’t cook evenly, but I agreed to help him try to grill them.

After some diligent googling, I came up with the following technique. First, slash each side of the fish every 3 to 4 inches down the length of the fish (so the fish will cook evenly). Next, oil the outside of the fish with olive oil. It’s also a good idea to spray your grilling surface with cooking spray or wipe it down with canola oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Next, liberally salt the fish, inside and out. Use more salt than you think will be palatable and you’ll find that it’s the perfect amount. Next place some fresh rosemary and lemon slices inside the fish. Finally, grill the fish over medium heat for about 10 minutes a side (keeping the tail away from the hottest part of the grill), and be very careful when you flip your fish. A larger fish will take longer to cook through (the rule of thumb I’ve heard with baking or grilling fish is 10 minutes/inch of thickness- in this case I’m talking about the thickness of each side rather than the whole fish).

A whole grilled fish actually looks pretty off-putting, but the fish we grilled this way was seriously the best fish I’ve ever eaten. If you are brave, try this!

Grilled Clams

I found a recipe for grilled clams in The Summer Shack Cookbook by Jasper White. It calls for a really rich garlic butter sauce that involves butter, cream and wine (and is worth giving a shot if you have the cookbook), but I like to simplify things by grilling a few halved lemons face down alongside the clams (for about 2 minutes). As for the clams, grill them directly on the grill (or on a sheet of foil if they are too small) over a medium flame without turning them, until they pop open (8-10 minutes). Be sure to take them off the heat as soon as they open up because otherwise the bottoms may burn. Squeeze the grilled lemon juice over the clams and serve them with a little melted butter for dipping. If you want to be fancy you can spoon the butter onto the clams, then garnish them with some chopped chives.

Finally, for all of these recipes, I’d like to suggest that if you can, add hickory chips to your grill. Basically, you soak 2 cups of chips in water while you’re getting the grill ready, and add them on top of the coals immediately prior to grilling your food. I think that it makes a huge difference in terms of the flavor profile of anything you grill.

I hope I’ve given you all some fresh ideas for your next BBQ or inspired you to come up with some of your own. What foods do you love to grill?

I am not a breakfast person. It’s not that I don’t like breakfast foods because for the most part I do. The problem is that breakfast takes place in the morning, and I am most certainly NOT a morning person. My mornings are typically rushed as I much prefer to get every minute of sleep possible over fussing with my hair or makeup and spending time making breakfast. However, I have heard over and over again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and while I’m not sure I 100% agree, I do know that without breakfast my stomach is growling long before lunchtime. So what is a girl who hates mornings supposed to do?

Well, here’s a quick breakfast solution for you; I call it the Breakfast Sandwich. It is incredibly quick and easy to put together, and it’s also versatile so you can change up the ingredients to fit you tastes. Is it the most creative recipe ever? No, but it does meet all my criteria: tasty, filling, and fast.

First, you want to assemble all your ingredients. You’ll need cooking spray, liquid egg whites or the equivalent of one egg white, a sandwich thin, a slice of American cheese, and 1 ounce of Canadian bacon. You’ll also need a toaster or conventional oven, microwave, scale or measuring spoon, and a glass or plastic bowl. (You will want to make sure the bowl you use is roughly the same size as your sandwich thin because your egg is going to be shaped like the bowl when we’re done with this.)

Spray your bowl with cooking spray, then measure out one egg white. You could also use a whole egg, egg beaters, or whatever your egg preference might be. For the liquid egg whites I used, 46g = 3 tablespoons = 1 large egg. Place your bowl in the microwave and cook on 50% power for 2 minutes. This is perfect for my microwave – anything more or less is not right. I also have an old, low wattage microwave so you may have to play with the timing a bit. Start with 1 minute.

While your eggs are cooking, split your sandwich thin and toast on the lowest setting. You don’t want it to get too done because it will get cooked again – just enough to keep it from being soggy. You could also use an English muffin or mini bagel.

When your egg is done, it should look something like this. If it is still runny at all, you will want to cook it longer. Since you sprayed the bowl, the egg should slip right out onto your bread.

Arrange each half of your sandwich thin on the pan for your toaster oven (or on a small pan for your conventional oven). Top one half with egg and slice of cheese (any variety will work). Lay the Canadian bacon (ham, bacon, or sausage would also work) on the other half.

Cook on 350 in the oven for about 2 minutes, depending on your oven. You just want the meat to be heated through and the cheese slightly melted.

Once it’s done, it will look something like this. Then just close your sandwich and enjoy!

This version, using the ingredients I have listed, is only 220 calories, has 7g fat and 5g fiber. Compare that to McDonald’s Egg McMuffin which is 300 calories, 12g fat and only 2g fiber. You will save 80 calories and 5g fat and earn 3g extra fiber! This works out to be a difference of 3 WW POINTS (my version is 4 POINTS, McD is 7 POINTS!!). I promise you my sandwich is just as good and will be ready in less time that you would waste sitting in the drive thru!

I’m a bit obsessed with this city, especially its strong food scene. If you aren’t from the CLE, you have probably already heard about all our fabulous restaurants, but you might not be aware of one of our food related gems: The West Side Market in Ohio City.

From their website: With its origins dating back to 1840 the West Side Market is Cleveland’s oldest publicly owned market. Today the market is home to over 100 vendors of great ethnic diversity.

There’s really no better place to do your grocery shopping or find a treat in Cleveland. Here is my list of “must haves” when I go to the Market on a Saturday afternoon:

Pasta from Ohio City Pasta

Visit any fine dining establishment in the city and you’ll probably find Ohio City Pasta being used. Their fresh pasta is infused with tremendous flavor. My favorites include the spinach and red pepper varieties.

Check out my post from last Halloween when I made their pumpkin gnocchi with a pumpkin brown butter sauce. YUM!

Hurka (Rice Ring) from Dohar Meats

Alright, don’t freak out. I understand this might not be for everyone, but for a traditional Hungrian treat, check out this blood sausage. It is made with rice, pig’s blood and pork. It’s also known as “rice ring” and is quite tasty. It’s one of my mom’s favorites that she must get on every visit to the Market.

Pierogi from Meister Foods

A culinary staple of the CLE, a pierogi is a piece of dough that is filled with any sort of food that you can think of: potato, cheese, sauerkraut, beef, or even fruit. Apricot pierogies are a favorite of my husband. I love a good potato & bacon combo. Since they are quite the chore to make, Meister Foods is our favorite place to buy homemade ones.

Ground Chicken & Old Hens from Kaufmann Poultry

Kaufmann Poultry always has the chicken my mom needs to make some of her best dishes, including her chicken meatballs and chicken soup. Plus, they are just good people – they gave my mom chicken livers (for dumplings) and chicken feet (for stock) on the house! Plus, anyone who has this sign up gets my loyalty:

[note from Shannon: I wonder if they'll create something for our traitor Lebron!!!]

City Chicken Skewers with Pork AND Veal from Sebastian’s Meats

Check out Wikipedia for the origin of the dish, but know that it VERY IMPORTANT to my family that we have both pork and veal on our skewers. Sebastian’s is the ONLY place where you can find them prepared with both meats.

Pizza Bagels from Frickaccio’s

Mmmmmm. The glorious combination of bread, cheese and tomato sauce. Need I say more?

Chicken Sausage from Czuchraj Meats and J&J Meats

Another great group of Clevelanders work at this stand. I love supporting people who make their customers feel like a part of the family. I like to decase these sausages and adding them to a pasta dish made with Ohio City linguine.

Crepes and coffee from Crêpes de Luxe

Place your order and watch their skilled employees make a traditional Parisian style street crêpe. From savory to sweet, the possibilities are endless. Combined with one of their excellent coffees, there’s no better way to end a trip to the West Side Market.

With this wide assortment of culinary delights, you can see why we love our West Side Market! I hope to see you around the market and around the CLE soon!

Why junk food break up though? See, I figured that a lot of us have a special place in our hearts for the stuff that’s not always good for us. Maybe we just never knew how to let the “not always good for you” food be only a part of our lives – and if we face facts we know we can’t cut it all out completely, because, well, true love never dies. That’s where that balance comes in! Learning that there are other fish (and salads and yogurts and fruits) in the sea, and knowing that you don’t have to cut everything you love out of life makes the journey so much better!

Here are a few pearls of wisdom that have helped me out along the way in my journey to the land of balance, and I hope you find them helpful too!

• Have a piece of pizza for a meal once in a while – as long as your other meals aren’t doughnuts and cheeseburgers.
• Explore the produce section – before, I used to think that salads were confined to iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. Imagine my surprise and delight when I learned that a salad (and the produce section) is basically just one big endless opportunity. My favorite salad concoction? Fresh spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onions and goat cheese with dressing on the side.
• Develop a love for dark chocolate in place of milk chocolate – not only is it better for ya, but there’s something about dark chocolate that just feels decadent and luxurious.
• Venture off the beaten path and visit a farmers market or local grocery store – you just might find something new that you hadn’t seen at your regular store.
• Make exercise a priority. I used to think “oh, I’ll workout if I get around to it.” Now I know that it’s going to be a part of my day before I tackle other things.
• Dining out is going to happen – it is part of life and an experience that’s meant to be enjoyed to the fullest. I will say that it took me a while to not go straight for the French Fries, but now I love to explore other options on the menu (but I won’t lie, the fries still get ordered from time to time).
• Stick with it for at least 3 weeks and let your body get used to the changes you are making.