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Daily Eats, Food Freedom, Travel

French Fries, Ice Cream and Wine

September 2, 2015 By Robyn 24 Comments

Thank you guys for all your sweet comments, emails and messages about Monday’s post. Totally unnecessary, but you sure do know how to make a girl [and guy] feel loved! So, thank you.

This week for WIAW, I’m photo dumping pictures from the past couple weeks when we were at Cape Cod and then when my momma was in the city. Let’s just say, it’s been a good-food-filled couple of weeks. I’ve consumed a respectful amount of fries in all forms, ice cream cones, and wine. Fries actually became a food group in the Cape.

all the ice cream all the time, and always in a waffle cone // cookie dough and birthday cake for the win.

part of dinner on Saturday // Greek salad + bread and olive oil + fried zucchini 

lunch Monday // Hummus and Pita Co. plate full of everything with olive oil, hummus + pita and these cute little pastries filled with raisins and apricot jam 

carmel praline and chocolate coconut milk ice cream // Greek salad + an arepa at Smorgasburg in the city on Saturday 

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dinner at Westville // veg plate + Cobb salad + sweet potato fries + red wine

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But after a couple of weeks of the good stuff, my body is so craving the other kind of good stuff…the green stuff. So with summer winding down and there being a little less travel in September than months before, I am pumped to get back in my kitchen and start cooking again. I went nuts on Amazon and Swanson Vitamins this week ordering so many nuts, seeds, dates, oils and dark chocolate to stock my pantry. Wheeeeeee! I’ve got 8 weeks until the NYC marathon and my focus is to take care of this body the best I can. There will still be wine and ice cream and fries, but there will also be a bit more green around these parts. And I’m excited about it.

I’m a pretty easy going person and I don’t have a lot of things that get to me, but guys…when people ask if I eat “xyz” food or see me eating pizza or cookies or drinking more than one drink at the bar I kind of want to scream. RDs are human and life is way too short to be all legalistic about food. I’ve gotten some requests to do a post on foods you might be surprised an RD would eat, and I think the past two weeks are a pretty good depiction of that. All the carbs, all the sugar, all the wine, and all the fried food. I can’t think of a better way to wrap up this summer.

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egg bagel with adzuki bean bacon, cashew cheese and chili mayo at The Butcher’s Daughter 

Cod with tomatoes and green beans and some other stuff that Nick cooked last night with a couple glasses of red wine and blueberry crisp

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And if your summer has looked similar, cheers. There is so much joy that can come from licking an ice cream cone on a hot August afternoon, cracking a bottle of wine on a Tuesday just because, and eating fast food while road tripping. And most importantly, there is so much freedom in that. Our bodies are super smart. They won’t crave that stuff forever. And that’s how we cultivate “balance.” Because after a couple week of less green all my body wants right now is all the vegetables. And that’s not because I think I should eat that but because I want to.

Yesterday’s post run lunch was ALL THE VEG. // green smoothie + kale salad with tomatoes and avocado and leftover vegan sushi from Beyond Sushi

IMG_0828So as summer winds down, and a new semester starts next week I’m excited about getting back in the kitchen, eating some nourishing foods, and settling into a better sleep rhythm.


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Filed Under: Daily Eats, Food Freedom, Travel

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Comments

  1. Aubrey says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:40 am

    These all look so good:)~

    Reply
  2. Kate says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:51 am

    I have recently found love for French fries (the thick, potato-y kind). It’s funny because I thought if I started eating them, I’d want them all the time. Not even true. My body still craves the “other” good stuff and I only have a French fry craving every now and then. As you say, the body knows best! 😀

    PS: Now, I DO have an ice cream craving 😉

    Reply
  3. Niki @ Life With Niki says

    September 2, 2015 at 10:06 am

    This is THE ultimate ice cream post- I love your honesty and the type of balance you advocate! Now that you are a Nurse, how will you go about nutritional consulting if you don’t mind me asking?
    Loved all of your meals- especially the mediterranean themed ones ;)!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 3, 2015 at 3:29 pm

      of course I don’t mind you asking! are you talking about balancing Nutshell with a nursing job or how I plan to incorporate my RN into my RD practice? Just want to make sure we’re on the same page 🙂

      Reply
  4. Samantha @ThePlantedVegan says

    September 2, 2015 at 10:37 am

    What a yummy day of food! All that ice cream is making me want dessert, and it’s only 11:00 am!

    Reply
  5. rachel says

    September 2, 2015 at 11:19 am

    One of my favorite quotes from this year is from Amy Poehler’s book: “Good for you, not for me.”

    If you want to drink a few glasses of wine, have some cookies, and enjoy some french fries, good for you!! It’s your life and you’ve found balance and you should enjoy some treats.

    Everyone is entitled to eat, feel, be, and do whatever makes their soul happy., They shouldn’t shun you because you’re an RD and eating those things 🙂

    Now I need to go find some coconut milk icecream. Yum! xo

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 3, 2015 at 3:31 pm

      I love that quote! You tell it how it is, sister 🙂

      Reply
  6. Mackenzie says

    September 2, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    All of that looks absolutely delicious, especially all of the ice cream! I’m so glad you’ve been able to enjoy your summer and think you’re such a great role model for everyone in terms of food balance. Have a fabulous day!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 3, 2015 at 3:33 pm

      Hope you have enjoyed your summer too!!

      Reply
  7. leticia says

    September 2, 2015 at 12:25 pm

    Robyn, a perfect healthy post of liviing a joyful life. Dont give a second on those negative comments. You are not what you are eating. You dont have to play a role as “an RD”. You are Robyn Coale. And Robyn Coale loves icecream, kale, fries, veggies, icecream, fruits, pizza, hummus, cakes, smoothies, friends, family, running, CVille and an endless list of beautiful things.
    Keep smiling the way you do.
    I love reading you and Id love to meet you some moment in the future.
    Leticia

    Reply
  8. laura @Sheeatswell says

    September 2, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    Ice cream envy over here…majorly. Another wonderful, raw, real post.

    Reply
  9. Shannon says

    September 2, 2015 at 3:48 pm

    I love seeing how easy going you are about eating. I think people are shocked when RD’s and health professionals eat a little bit more loosely, because some people in the industry preach that you should always be on your game, and not eat xyz! I love reading all of your posts!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 3, 2015 at 4:09 pm

      Gosh I could never be on my game all the time, so much pressure! Thanks for reading 🙂

      Reply
  10. Hillary | Nutrition Nut on the Run says

    September 2, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    oh, yummm. all that ice cream looks amazing, as does the greek good… and vegan sushi. you eat GOOD!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 3, 2015 at 4:09 pm

      and so do YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  11. She Rocks Fitness says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    Looks like a perfect couple of weeks to bring summer to a close…I am seriously craving a ice cream in a waffle cone…It just screams summer and is always fun to have after dinner while strolling on a cool Summer night. Cheers friend!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 3, 2015 at 4:10 pm

      Screams summer!! Hope you already had a cone last night 🙂

      Reply
  12. Leah says

    September 3, 2015 at 12:56 am

    what an awesome, yummy looking summer you had! Glad you enjoyed yourself. Thanks for being so honest in your posts. Life is too short to not enjoy it to the fullest.

    Reply
  13. Katie says

    September 3, 2015 at 2:11 pm

    All that food looks so delicious! Oh that ice cream… I LOVE scoop ice cream. On a more serious note ;)… you have taught me the true meaning of Balance. I never ever feel restricted anymore when I eat, I feel so “free” and I go my cravings/hunger cues instead of “what I should be eating”. I can’t thank you enough for that. Because i’ve learned that counting calories equals stress, stress equals weight gain/unhappiness!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 3, 2015 at 4:13 pm

      ahhhh my heart is so full just reading about all the freedom you’ve experienced! So, so overjoyed for you! Keep soaking up life!

      Reply
  14. Kathleen West says

    September 3, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    I love you posting the actual food you enjoy. I feel as RD’s we get such a stereotype associated with us, like we never eat anything but veggies and grilled chicken! We are people too! Everything in moderation is my opionion. Life is too short to skip dessert!

    Reply
  15. Simona says

    September 6, 2015 at 6:16 am

    I love reading your WIAW (and other) posts – they are so real. I think this is what we are missing the most in today’s blogosphere and social media – reality. Thanks for showing both the ice cream part as well as the green salad side of your daily menu!

    Reply
  16. Faith VanderMolen says

    September 6, 2015 at 8:32 am

    Ah, this post makes me happy…and makes me miss all the awesome food in NYC! We just moved to China, and while the food here is delicious, there’s no variety in our city.
    And that bagel sandwich from the Butcher’s Daughter looks ah-mazing! I only made it there once and I got the reuben…didn’t disappoint! Keep enjoying that ice cream…and now those veggies too:)

    Reply
  17. suzanne says

    September 8, 2015 at 9:49 am

    Robyn – I love the way you celebrate with food….

    I can imagine how hard it is to be an RD with all of the preconceived ideas people have about what you ‘should’ or ‘should not’ be eating. Your freedom with food inspires me. I have been vegetarian for my whole adult life and vegan for the past several years…but have had a resurgence of an old ED (restriction and exercise addiction) and am working on this a lot now. I recently did a healing retreat with my spiritual teacher and her teaching reminded me of you. I had wanted real ice cream for the first time in years just a few weeks before the retreat..then all the pics of waffle cones with drippy ice cream on your blog looked so good…so when I went to the retreat she worked with me on my black and white thinking about food…she encouraged my vegan diet but with flexibility when I want it….and she had me eat ice cream (asked what I wanted) …when I became very contracted and scared when I saw the ice cream – she told me that I could not eat it in that state….she had me shift my whole being to be in a place where I could enjoy it – embrace it – and smile while I ate it. I could completely see and identify how my organs and brain were in 2 different states depending on whether I was relaxed or contracted with the food – and how it would even metabolize differently because of this.

    Sorry for the long comment but I thought you might be interested to hear this.
    Thanks for being so authentic 🙂

    Reply

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years o A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years of getting to spend so much time with my kids: aka another way I’m discovering some pockets of peace so my heart & mind & soul don’t crumble under the reality of dependent & emotionally dysregulated tiny humans.  About once a week we go somewhere for baked goods. We drive or walk, buy something buttery & then find a beautiful, relatively quiet outdoor spot where the boys can romp and I can sit and think my thoughts while I watch them play. This past week we were found ourselves at the Wool Factory where the boys threw rocks & whatever else off the bridge while I ate 90% of this almond 🥐 from @coucourachou that will blow your mind. Boys ate the other 10% bc they were busy playing and didn’t ask for more quickly enough 😜  I’m finding *for me* playgrounds have a time & place but they aren’t where I enjoy motherhood & my two toddlers the most. Baked goods & a pretty outdoor spot without high drops my 15 month old could launch himself off of…I’m here for it.
I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the boys to hike out at one of our favorite spots last week and when I ripped it open I was regretting my choice to share them with my kids. @baresnacks randomly sent me a box of snacks and I usually eat free food we receive or give it to a friend/neighbor and move on. But I felt it my duty to tell you about these bc they are THAT GOOD. I’m not getting paid and this isn’t sponsored - I was just shocked at how tasty these were and felt you needed to know. We ate them with some buttery roasted nuts and the combo was 👌🏻 but they are good just on their own.  The boys climbed rocks and swam in the reservoir - leave it to my almost 3 year old to want to strip down naked and fully submerge himself in chilly water on a sixty degree morning. “Mama can I get super nakey?” Sure baby. Sure. This is your childhood.
It’s a hard sell to get me to accept an offer of It’s a hard sell to get me to accept an offer of extended alone time away from the babies to just be. And that isn’t something that’s best for me, it’s an area I gotta grow in. So this afternoon when Nick pushed me out the door and was like - get out of here plzzzz - I walked to my favorite cafe and ordered a thick pastrami sandwich and sat there for a good LONG while before taking a long, peaceful walk in the rain to wrap up the afternoon. Note to self: stop being such a control freak and go be by yourself sometimes.
a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face from @mariebettecafe this morning when she came to get her toddler who played with us all morning and it is v good. even better when paired with an iced latte 😍
#AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing a #AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing about how taking @alignprobiotic regularly has improved my digestive regularity.  And I’m still taking them! I’ve permanently added Align 24/7 Digestive Support* into the roundup of supplements I take before bed (prenatal, vitamin D, choline & DHA - all which help keep me healthy while breastfeeding) so I can keep seeing the benefits.  Just because you see benefits, doesn’t mean you should stop taking your probiotic. Keep taking Align daily (under the supervision and recommendation of your health care provider of course) to keep seeing the benefits!  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - one of my favorite parts of Align probiotics is that they don’t need refrigeration AND they come in a convenient little blister pack that has the days labeled. It’s the little things people! #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoo I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoon (91 and muggy in MAY 🤯) when a toddler nap was refused and a baby nap was cut wildly short ....so my tired mom brain pulled out two plastic storage bins, filled them up with soap & hose water and striped ‘em down naked in the yard. Two hours later, it was almost time for an early dinner and I had magically been able to sit for most of that time and we already had baths checked off the list. 👍🏻 I’m archiving this idea for my future self, hope it helps another tired mama out.
#AlignPartner I left off a month ago sharing about #AlignPartner I left off a month ago sharing about getting better at doing the basics to care for myself which included taking my supplements and @alignprobiotic regularly.  Probiotics take time to work so I wanted to give it a full month to see the full effects of @alignprobiotic. So here are my honest thoughts: it took a few weeks to notice any differences, but near the end of the month I did notice some changes in my digestive balance - even while traveling! I’m not someone who experiences occasional gas, bloating or abdominal discomfort frequently enough to notice a difference, so I don’t feel like I can comment on how well Align works for those benefits.  All in all though, taking @alignprobiotic was a positive experience and I really appreciated how the capsules don’t need to be stored in the fridge, making it convenient to take them with me anywhere #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Where we will spend a good majority of our summer. Where we will spend a good majority of our summer. Because the swampy VA summer has already begun (it’s in the low 90s today 🥵 lord help) and creeks are our retreat - not only from the heat but also from the noisy world. I need this just (if not more) than they do! We’ll be at the splash pads and pools too, but the quietness of the creek...my mental health is so about it. And it’s hours of play for them! Win win.  A couple things to note: this scene also included a few toddler reminders on finding another direction to throw rocks instead of at his brother - so not all is serene 🤪 and also, yes I am now that mom who buys the same clothing for both kids bc it keeps things simple & i think i kinda like it too 🤷🏻‍♀️
Things I love about midwifery among many: the appo Things I love about midwifery among many: the appointments, no matter how long, feel so unhurried. 
Just walked in from an appointment with my midwife because I was due for a Pap test + an overall wellness visit. My last pap was during my first trimester with Cal which feels like a jillion years ago, but it’s only actually been three years. Life changes so fast! Pre-baby life feels like a whole other life.  I’m wayyyy overdue for a visit to my PCP bc I’ve been under OBGYN or midwifery care for the majority of the past three years while having babies, but I am pretty good with keeping up with my paps. It seems women often think they need pap and/or HPV testing way more frequently than they do (and providers sometimes perform these tests more frequently than necessary - remember more testing doesn’t always mean better outcomes!)  So if you need it, here’s a quick little reminder on this chilly spring Friday afternoon on how often you need this testing (these are the recommendations from ACOG)  Women aged 21–29 years should have a Pap test alone every 3 years. HPV testing is not recommended.  Women aged 30–65 years should have a Pap test and an HPV test (aka co-testing) every 5 years (preferred). It also is acceptable to have a Pap test alone every 3 years.  If you get abnormal results, this testing frequency could change - but for healthy women with normal results, you actually don’t need testing as frequently as you might think. Which is great news for those of you who hate the speculum.  Ok, off to finish up some things on the to-do list (including cleaning this kitchen) during nap time and then come 5 o’clock, crack an IPA with our neighbors 🍻
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care f We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care for a nap. Putting baby down was harder than I wanted it to be. Miraculously, I had a moment of clarity as I was covered in tiny humans and decided I wasn’t doing the nap battle thing a on 60 degree, gorgeous, sunny spring day 🙅🏻‍♀️ so I piled both babies into the car half naked, opened the sun roof, put on white noise for them and an audio book for me and drank a kombucha as I drove a meal to a postpartum mama. Thirty five minutes later we had a sleeping baby and a toddler who at least had a rest. Baby transferred without waking HALLELUJAH and although my toddler didn’t nap today (lord help) at least we got soaked in breezy sunshine 😎🤘🏻💆🏻‍♀️
We veered from our usual Friday night homemade piz We veered from our usual Friday night homemade pizza (minus the dough, we leave that to @albemarlebakingco) because we are eating pizza tomorrow with some friends - instead I called my mom and asked her how she makes her chicken fingers and we fried up a big ole batch of chicken nugs 🙌🏻🤤 along with a sheet pan full of sweet potato fries and a simple arugula salad dressed with parmesean, olive oil and s&p. Oh and my moms honey mustard recipe for dipping. It’s SO DANG GOOD.  Over the past 6ish months we’ve been practicing (and practicing and practicing bc it doesn’t come naturally) unplugging from technology and slowing down and resting and just being for one day a week. Some call it Shabbat. Some call it Sabbath. Maybe you call it something different. All I know is IT IS SO GOOD FOR MY WEARY SOUL and the day I look forward to ALL WEEK. Sundown on Friday to sundown Saturday. Nothing but rest. For us that means hiking (or something outside) and napping and reading and being with friends and eating really good food. And drinking some really good wine or craft beer. Sometimes whiskey. 😛  And because I know I’ll get asked about the chicken finger recipe and also because it’s too good not to share and Momma Coale said I could, here ya go:  Cut chicken breast into thin strips or small pieces (I prefer nug size bc the breading to chicken ratio is perfection). Salt and pepper those babies really well. Then dredge them in all purpose flour, then egg, then panko - just like you would bread anything else. Then fry them up in a light oil - I use avocado oil because that’s our everyday oil. You could also use canola or peanut oil. Just fill a pan with an inch or so of oil on medium high heat. They only take 2-3 minutes per side. You can always temp them to make sure they are at least 165 degrees F to really make sure they are done. Dunk in all the sauces and enjoy!  Happy weekend!

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