Sunsets and Food in Martha’s Vineyard

This is my last post about my wonderful time in Martha’s Vineyard. I know it seems like I have been obsessing over my 5 days on the Island, but I just can’t help it, my runs were awesome and so were my photos.

I also loved everything I ate.

Before I get into that, let me take you back. For the last five years, I have read a lot of literature on nutrition. Some of my favorites including the books, Skinny Bitches, The Eat Clean Diet, The Crazy Sexy Diet, Healing Teas. I have also watched the documentaries, Super Bad, Crazy Sexy Cancer, and Forks over Knives. More than half of my research talks about the harmful effects meat and dairy has on the body, and how much more beneficial it is to just eat a plant based diet. All of my research has proved that processed and refined sugar is extremely  harmful for the body. I don’t want to label myself as vegetarian or vegan, but I have been limiting processed foods, refined sugar and artificial sugars, yeast, dairy, and most meat with the exception of fish.

I may get more into detail about nutrition in a later post, but for now I want to talk about how awesome the food is in Martha’s Vineyard. I had been struggling with eating less meat especially red meat in the past. When I run long, for marathon training, my body just craves steak. However when it comes to eating healthy I try to just take it one day at a time.

What I love about Martha’s Vineyard is the variety of seafood options. I did not eat any red meat not once, because all I ate was fish. The best part is how fresh the seafood is. Nothing shipped or frozen. Literally you purchase your lobster from the fisherman that caught it that day.

I ate this Lobster. My favorite!

Two years ago in Martha’s Vineyard I actually went clamming and crabbing. I got in the water and fetched my own dinner and then cooked it later, Clam Chowder, Clam Casino, a Crabs feast. This year I didn’t have the opportunity to do that because I went deep sea fishing instead, and caught and ate a sea bass. But when it came to clams, my bf’s step mom, went clamming. We ate her homemade clam chowder, and the clams were so fresh we ate them right on the half shell. We also had amazing steamers.

Food does not have to be complicated. It can stay simple, because it will be full of it’s own natural flavors if it is fresh and in season.  And that is how it is in Martha’s Vineyard, everything fresh, everything in season, everything simple.

© 2012

 

Fishing in Martha’s Vineyard

MARTHA’S VINEYARD

I got home Wednesday night, from a five day getaway from Martha’s Vineyard. Before we left I spent all of Friday getting everything in order. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about a long list of things I needed to get done when I got back. Because of this, I was able to really let go, and relax. Actually my vacation ended up being so relaxing, that I felt refreshed and ready to head back to work on Thursday morning, that rarely happens.

So let me start explaining from the beginning, for those of you that are not familiar with Martha’s Vineyard – Martha’s Vineyard is an island off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  To give you a visual, it is the island that the movie JAWS was filmed on. Anyway, my boyfriend’s parents have a house there. When they first were talking about buying a beach house I assumed that they would buy one more local, but my bf’s stepmom is originally from New England. Also her sister owns a B&B there, and her grandfather was buried on the Island so she wanted to be there too. But let me tell you, it is a little bit of a hike to get there. We have to take a one hour flight to Boston, jump on a bus for two hours, then take a one hour boat ride until we finally arrive in Oaks Bluff, Martha’s Vineyard.

 

Right after we got off the boat and arrived in Oaks Bluff, we dropped our bags off at the house and then went fishing. This was the first time I actually held a fishing pole and caught a fish. What a difference it makes to be fishing and not just there for the boat ride. I had a lot of fun.

Taking the raft out, so we can get to the fishing boat.

Me, Heading out to the boat, to go fishing.

This boat is the boat from the movie JAWS. They left it here. These are the remains.

 

I spotted cool birds, on the way to our secret fishing spot.

 

Yep, you are not seeing things. Those are cows.

My first fish!

I’m so happy, I could kiss you!

My sexy man. He caught some fish but nothing worth bringing back.

I found a hermit crab!

At the end of the first day, we were exhausted. It was fun but traveling, fishing, soaking up the sun on the boat, made us ready to turn in early. My bf’s dad scaled my fish and put it away so it would be ready to smoke later that week.  Maybe it was beginner’s luck, but whatever. I am happy I caught a fish that big, and can’t wait to go fishing again.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU

  1. Have you been to Martha’s Vineyard?
  2. What’s your favorite beach town?
  3. How big was the biggest fish you have caught before?

Stay tuned. I have a lot more to say about Martha’s Vineyard and photo’s too.

© 2012

 

 

Living on the East Coast is amazing because…

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I haven’t been posting any running blog posts because I am in Martha’s Vineyard and I have been using my camera not my iPad. However, I have been running every morning, and I do have plenty of amazing photos to post. I have run two different amazing coastal routes that I can’t wait to share with you.

But for now I wanted to show you this photo of little neck clams. On the vineyard there are plenty of cove like places where you can go clamming and crabbing. This year the tide was too high when my boyfriend and I wanted to go, but we went lat year and it was really fun. The best part of clamming and crabbing is eating the seafood after you went out there and caught it yourself. It taste so amazingly fresh! These clams were caught by his stepmom the day we arrived. You can eat them raw just like an oyster. You can steam them, or you can make clam chowder.

My boyfriend’s step mom made a huge pot of clam chowder. Yesterday we had a lobster dinner with steamers, while watching the sunset. (I’ll tell you more about that later.) Tonight, in this photo, we are eating the little necks raw. Yum.

I love seafood. This is why living on the east coast is so amazing.