Pretty Soup

"Oh Dahling I just love this posh restaurant."

"Babe. I know! We are so chic just sitting here."

" I feel like a celebrity... Wait! Is that Heidi Klum?"

"Don't act so star-struck ok?  Pretend like we belong here."

"Is freeze dried air really an appetizer?"

" Totes."

"Waiter? Uh, yes we'll have the freeze-dried air followed by a sliver of raw critter."

"Fabulous choice.  Our air is premium and our critter is fresh killed to order."

"Cool."

When kids play with their food they get in trouble... When adults do the same thing-- they just call it

"Food Styling."

Professional food styling is a legit occupation...  You can even major in it at certain trade and culinary schools... (hmm.. backup plan?)
Those beautiful ads for food and cookbook covers may look good enough to eat, but a deeper look into food styling reveals some unappetizing Tricks of the Trade...

Stylists know that looks are more important than taste during a photo shoot, and they use culinary tricks to make food the star of the show. For instance, they might substitute heavy cream for milk when photographing cereal (heavy cream looks much more appetizing). By adding aspirin powder to champagne, stylists create extra fizz. Talcum powder sprinkled over charcoal simulates ash.

There are other tricks too—applying lipstick on strawberries to deepen their redness, using hair dryers to cook a slice of turkey, or using shortening mixed with sugar to simulate ice cream. With the advent of digital photography, the Food Stylist’s job has gotten much easier. No longer does the stylist need to worry about such details as the food sitting under the hot lights for hours and hours—photos are now taken and assessed much more quickly.

Well food styling is all in good fun, but I am more into the pretty things YOU CAN EAT.

Case and point-

Pretty Tomato Alfredo Soup

(Picture phone photo- no tricks... just real cute soup!)

Will it taste different if you delicately drizzle a creamy sauce versus just mixing it together?

NO.

But will you feel like a hoity-toity-fancy-pants? ... Sure will!

Life is to short to sip ugly soup!

What you need:

Tomato Soup

Alfredo Sauce

Croutons

Spinach for garnish

pepper

1. The only thing you need to do is carfully spoon the alfredo atop your tomato soup.  Take pride in the little dribblets ;)
2. Then just garnish with croutons and spinach... Sprinkle pepper and call yourself Posh Spice.

Keep it classy Flex 14

Carbo-Lovin' Bread Salad

Carb-loading... The best part of being an endurance athlete!  

It is an excuse to indulge in what many others try to avoid.   After this weekend's triathlon clinic, I am 100% carbtastic.  3 straight days of bagels, pizza, pasta, and breadsticks.  All the sweat was worth it!
Carbohydrates are the body's fuel, so before a big event, or intense workout it is a good idea to  fill your muscles with some excess carbs.   Look! It has been proven to enhance performance!  

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/nutrition/60-second-guide-carb-loading/3961.html
Ok, so maybe you don't have a marathon the next day... 

BUT WE ALL LOVE CARBS ANYWAY!
What a better way to celebrate our body's main source of energy than with a big bowl of PANZANELLA!


Panz-a-what-ugh?


Well my friend...

A Panzanella or panmolle is an Italian dish originating in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Lazio. The dish is a bread salad popular in the summer months. It includes sliced bread and fresh tomatoes, flavored with basil, olive oil, and vinegar, often with salt and pepper. Sometimes thought of as a "leftover salad," additional panzanella ingredients vary widely, and include lettuce, white wine, capers, anchovies, celery, carrots, red wine, red onion, cucumber, tuna, parsley, boiled eggs, mint, bell peppers, lemon juice, and garlic. The bread used should be day- to week-old and densely textured. Bread salads date back to the 14th century at least, although tomatoes weren't added until after the discovery of the New World.^[1]

<sup>Thank you Wikipedia!


So without further adieu, I give you the most carb-friendly salad you'll ever meet--- because let's be honest... Croutons are the best part!</sup>

^{Carbo-Lovin' Bread Salad}

What You Need

-Stale Bread Bowl  (yupp.. the staler the better!)
-Tomatos
-Cucumbers
-Chopped Onion
-Crispy fried onion
-Pickled Peppers or all sorts
-Mozarealla and Parmesean cheese
-Olive Oil
-vinegar
-lemon juice
-basil
-pepper
-salt

1. Mix Oil vinegar, lemon juice, basisl, pepper  and salt in a large bowl.
2. Bread that stale breadbowl and toss with all your veggies and cheese.
3. Then pour into your dressing bowl! Toss it up and YUMMY THERE YA GO!


You are carbo-loaded and ready to go run-swim-bike- or... Take a nap.