Bit o' Sunny

I spent four days last week at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in the mountains of Tennessee. This was my third year at the festival. I find it incredible how easy it is to stay healthy out there. For one, it's on a huge 700 acre farm and you have to walk everywhere. Just walking from the campsite to "Centeroo" where all the stages and tents are is a great workout. On average, I think I attended about 7 or 8 concerts every day, so I felt like I could afford to indulge in beers and the occasional junk food.

Because Bonnaroo strives to be a green, sustainable music festival, they offer a lot of healthy food options--much better than typical festival/carnival fare. For every fried Twinkie there's a hummus and fattoush plate. For every slice of pizza there's a vegan taco stand. It's pretty easy to maintain your weight, or even drop a couple of pounds.

Because of the heat (it was over 90 degrees every day), we had to drink a ton of water to survive. I drank a couple gallons every day.

Then there's the dancing. I got to see one of my heroes, Wanda Jackson, perform. This was an absolutely life-changing experience for me. Wanda Jackson is the first lady of rock & roll. Elvis himself gave her his blessing, and even dated her for a short period of time when she made the leap from country to rockabilly music in the mid to late 50s. Jack White of the White Stripes (another hero of mine) produced her recent comeback record "The Party Ain't Over."

I love traditional rockabilly and classic American music. I love Wanda Jackson. Her band, the Hi Dollars, were incredible. It was impossible to stand still during this show. I never stopped dancing. I must have burned a billion calories. The same thing happened when we checked out Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears' set. They're one of my favorite live bands, and this time they brought out a bunch of soul singers in matching suits at the end of their set. Tail shaking was an absolute must.

Now that I'm back from the festival, I'm focusing more on traditional workouts and healthy food. I did an early morning cardio/core split yesterday and today I plan to bike to the Indians game to meet some friends.

For now, I leave you with a very simple, healthy, nutritious recipe. Seriously, it's foolproof and a great quick, healthy meal. I don't usually shy away from taking my time when I cook, but I had a busy night the other day and had to come up with something fast:

Penne with Broccoli and Toasted Nuts

1 box whole wheat pasta (I used penne)
3/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 pound fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or almonds
1/2 cup julienne carrots
2 cloves garlic
salt, pepper, your choice of spice

Boil your water and cook pasta according to the instructions. While it's boiling, blanch your broccoli. Once the broccoli is cooked (it should still be slightly firm, not soggy--if you overcook it will lose nutrients), drain the pan and add a little olive oil, garlic, carrots, and nuts. Sautee these items together until the nuts are toasted and the ingredients are well-mixed.

Drain the pasta and toss with the veggie mixture, remaining olive oil, and cheese. Stir well.

There you go. It's not anything special, but it's a good, light summer pasta dish.