refreshing seasonal salads

Michael — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:58:54 +0000

Summer, if it's done right, is alternating bouts of heating up and cooling down; and being so busy having fun that you've barely got time to splash water on your face. Summer is also about gorging yourself on the juiciest fruits that nature has to offer. I love the way fruit refreshes me - it's like a big drink of water and a shot of energy - combine that with a sharp cheese like feta or blue and you have a healthy and hedonistic summer snack.

watermelon and feta salad

8-ounce package baby arugula
4 cups watermelon (cubed)
8-ounce package feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar glaze

Spread arugula on a large platter. Scatter watermelon and feta over the arugula.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze and pepper to taste.

(If you can’t find balsamic glaze in the supermarket, you can make it by reducing 3/4 of a cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan to 3 tablespoons)

fig and mozzarella salad

1 bowl of soft, green, salad leaves
handful of basil
6 figs
6 medium bocconcini balls
6 slices of parma ham
6 tablespoons of oil
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of honey

This is a very visceral recipe to get your fingers into. Tear up the basil, the bocconcini and the ham. Toss these with some soft green leaves and place the cut, splayed figs on top. Combine the oil, juice and honey and drizzle over the salad. Season to taste. (When choosing your figs, you want them soft and ripe - they don't ripen after they've been picked. Fig connoisseurs look for a droplet in the small hole at the bottom of the fruit.)

image: flickr-Dito

caramelized pear and blue cheese salad

2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of white vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 pears (quartered and cored)
1/2 cup of walnuts
4-ounces arugula
6-ounces blue cheese (sliced)

Heat the butter, vinegar and sugar in a fry pan. Add the pear and walnuts and cook over a medium heat until the pear is soft. Place the arugula in bowls and top with the pears, walnuts and blue cheese. Spoon the pan juices over the top.

Summer fruits and salads are more refreshing than that shower after hot yoga. We'd love for you to share some of the ways you maximize the summer crop and your favourite go-to summer salad ideas in the comment section below.

what else are we excited about this summer?

open for running

Tiffany — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:44:34 +0000

Above: Tiffany takes the Run: Flow Thru Dress for a spin!

I have to be thoroughly honest with you.

I'm not exactly what you would call a 'hardcore' runner. When it comes to my running program, the words snow, rain, cold, or anything else unpleasant simply do not have a place. Summer running is where it's at.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I actually really like running. I really, really like running when I am wearing the brightest, coolest and most functional pieces on the running market. Who wouldn't? This is why I love lululemon!

For instance, my first outing of the running season was this past Monday, and I decided to sport the new Run: Flow Thru Dress. For me, this dress was a match made in runner's heaven. It's fun, cute, and made with Silverescent technology. The dress upheld its Flow Thru name – the air flowed right 'thru', and kept me cool during my 5km – which felt more like 50km!

Like some, my iPod is my running companion. I'm not a person who can run and talk at the same time – my breath will simply not have it. The amazing thing about lululemon run gear is it harbors all sorts of gadgets and gizmos for your running routine. The Run: Flow Thru Dress has a handy pocket near the small of the back – perfect for a key, map, or in my case, a running mate!

On that note, I'm looking for some new music to keep me company. I know there are others out there like me… what are your favourite running tunes? (Leave me a comment below).