Lake Fun, Guac & Baked Tempeh

Wow, another weekend flew by way too fast! I just got out of the shower washing about 9 layers of sunblock off from a long morning run, then fun day at Folsom Lake, I really hope it all worked so I don’t start my week in pain. Currently the temps are in the 90s here, but was absolutely perfect earlier being in the 70s for my run and staying cool and breezy for most of our time at the lake. We met family for a day of swimming, relaxing, trail running and lunch.

We arrived early to enjoy the lake before the crowds and afternoon heat arrived because dealing with the crowds on beach can be a trying experience.

Because it was supposed to be hot, I decided to pack cool, moist raw dishes. I threw together a double-batch of Rosemary Guacamole from Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen and chopped jicama, cucumbers and celery to dip into it.

It was a great opportunity to use fresh rosemary and jalapeno pepper from our garden and wow, fresh rosemary has a lot more flavor than the dried stuff! I made it the night before and allowed it to marinate in the fridge blending the flavors nicely.

I also packed a simple fruit salad inspired from a Whole Foods sampling.

Fresh watermelon and pineapple chunks tossed with chopped fresh chocolate mint leaves, then also marinated in the fridge overnight. Just wow! These three simple ingredients do amazing things together and the mint leaves really did have a chocolaty flavor. It was a hit with everyone in our group, including the kids. Try it soon.

The choices were perfect for sitting on a hot beach most of the day, cool and very hydrating. Maybe a bit too hydrating for me because I had to run to the out houses a lot! But, better than being dehydrated.

For dinner I was craving protein and got experimental with a package of Trader Joe’s Organic Tempeh. I threw raw honey, mustard and curry powder into a bowl with a little water to dilute and mixed, then dipped the tempeh slices in the sauce and baked for about 30 minutes at 200. I served the baked slices as is with a side salad for a pretty good dinner.

I’ve never baked temped before, but clearly need to try it more! The slices had a mild sweet curry flavor that was different and good. Next time I think I’ll try marinating the slices longer to let the flavors really sink in.

I am wiped after busy, but fun day and I still need to address a pile of laundry for the week. This week I’m tackling some new grounds, I got a sprouting jar with many varieties of sprout seeds for my birthday. So I’m determined to try them and save money not having to buy sprouts. Also hopefully tackling Ani’s Kefir water since the dried kefir grains I ordered online are nearly rehydrated, should be fun!