503-705-4762

Blog

Watermelon Mint and Feta Salad

 

Hooray for watermelon season!

I made this watermelon mint and feta salad for a potluck this weekend and wanted to share the recipe with you. Fresh, light, and easy to throw together this will be your new favorite summer salad.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re lucky to have sweet and juicy Hermiston watermelons. I found a small seedless one at Chuck’s Produce.

We have a crazy amount of mint growing like weeds in the back yard so I’m on the lookout for summer recipes that include mint. This weekend as part of my Sunday meal prep, I made a big batch of green soup and thew in two big handfuls of parsley and mint.

Watermelon Mint and Feta Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • 4 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tsp honey
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cups of seedless watermelon cut into bite sized cubes
  • 4 oz feta crumbled
  • 2 Tbsp fresh mint finely chopped

Directions:

  1. Pour vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper into a jar with a lid.
  2. Secure the lid tightly and shake to combine.
  3. Place watermelon, feta and mint in a large bowl.
  4. Pour dressing over fruit mixture and stir gently.
  5. Serve immediately. 

The July Five Exercises


Your July Five exercises:

  • Pelvic Clock
  • Bird Dog
  • Farmer’s Carry
  • Med Ball Push Up
  • Chest Stretch

Click here to watch the July Five video.

The order of these exercises is based on my trademarked R.O.S.S. protocol (Release, Organize, Strengthen and then Stretch) for pain free, economical movement.

Do this as a standalone strength and mobility workout by watching the video and following along with me or use this 9 minute series as a warmup prior to your next hike, bike, or swim.

To get the most out of these exercises please listen carefully to my cueing (especially while doing pelvic clock and bird dog).

I’m super excited to share this month’s farmer’s carry exercise with you!

I have some friends who are literal farmers and the husband recently told me a story about how he was proud of his wife. They were at a feed store and the employee thought the bag of feed they bought was too heavy for him to roll out to the truck using a hand cart. My friend’s bad ass, farm strong wife took one look at the 50lb bag, hoisted it over her shoulder and carried it out into the parking lot.


While you may not be working on a farm, or doing heavy manual labor this summer, let me ask you this – how much does your suitcase weigh? Or your dog? If they pack the box heavy at Costco, would you feel confident lifting it out of the cart and into your trunk?

Do you have the shoulder, back, core, and leg strength to pick up and carry a heavy thing?

Could your core stabilize you enough to carry a heavy thing in one hand only?

If the answer is no, join us for our Wednesday 6 pm Pilates class on Zoom. We’re combining traditional Pilates exercises with these shoulder and core strength moves.

 

None of these exercises should hurt. YOU are in charge of taking good care of you. If you feel pain, stop immediately. Please see your medical professional prior to beginning a new exercise program.

Recipe – Quick Pickled Strawberries with White Balsamic

Here’s an easy quick pickled berry recipe you can throw together in minutes. It will last a week or so in the fridge, but I’m guessing you’ll eat them up quick!

While we do have strawberries in our yard, we’re getting just about a handful a day (and we have a cute lil brown bunny who also likes our strawberries) so to make this recipe I picked up a couple pints of berries at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market.

In an effort to tamp down my allergy symptoms this month, I’ve been sampling different local honey from Sithean Acres (also at the market) and used their fireweed honey in this recipe.

I recently found Navidi’s, a shop in nearby Camas that sells hundreds of types of olive oils and vinegars. I used their pineapple white balsamic in this recipe and it was delicious!

Quick Pickled Strawberries with White Balsamic

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of strawberries, trimmed and washed.
  • 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar.
  • 1/2 cup water.
  • 1 Tbsp honey.
  • Pinch of salt and pepper.

Directions:

  1. Place berries in a jar.
  2. Mix vinegar, water, honey, salt and pepper and pour over berries.
  3. Give the jar a gentle shake.
  4. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  5. Enjoy!

I ate my strawberries right out of the jar, also put them on a salad (including this meal of salmon and grits). You could also spread goat cheese on a slice of toast and top with strawberries.

Enjoy!

~Anne

Hike with Anne!

Join me for a waterfall hike this summer!

If you’re not on my email newsletter list, add your email in the “SIGN UP FOR THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER” box over there to the right —>>>

I send 2-4 emails a month with info about hikes, plus “The Five” exercises, healthy recipes, and local events.

  • Who: You, me, and our friends.
  • What: 3-10 mile hikes varying in length and difficulty.
  • When: Weekends this summer.
  • Where: Various locations, most will be within an hours drive of Portland
  • Why: Get outdoors, move your body, enjoy nature, meet new people!
  • How: Read our newsletters for the next hike date and location.

My goal is to do a long (10-12 mile) hike by the end of October. In July we started with smaller, 3-5 mile hikes. This month were shooting for 7 milers and I’d love for you to join me!

If getting out in the woods in search of waterfalls sounds like fun, keep your eyes peeled here for the upcoming hike schedule and locations. Most of these will be on Sundays. I may do a few weekday hikes for those of you with a flexible schedule.

To join one of these hikes, please text or email me 24 hours prior to the hike so that we will know to look for you.

(503) 705-4762

Anne@FluidPortland.com

Please be advised: YOU are in charge of you.

Before venturing out please read the description of the hike to make sure it is suitable for you right now.

Our first few hikes will be easier, as the months progress we will do harder and longer hikes.

The pace will be set by whoever shows up that day. One week we may have a chatty group of slowpokes, the next we may have a more quiet, faster group. By “group” I mean, it could be you n me, or a couple other people. I will walk with the slowest person in the group.

We will be doing mostly out and backs, so at any point you can decide to stop and wait or rest. Some of the hikes will be loops.

Please do not depend on me for medical care. I suggest you pack the hikers 10 and at the very least bring water, snacks, and dress in layers. Expect to be out of cell range.

If you’re interested in getting outdoors, meeting new people and having an adventure this is for you!

Listen to Anne’s Podcast Interview on Small Business Marketing

What are “The Five” monthly exercises and why should you do them?

What does R.O.S.S. stand for and how can this trademarked system can help you?

Check out my interview with Howard Wolpoff on his Small Business Marketing Then and Now podcast!

We chat about how I got my start, how Covid changed my business for the better, and who I love working with (hey that’s YOU!).

Click this link to listen.

And as always, thanks so much for your support!

xoxo
Anne