But first…
This morning I woke up at 5, a good hour and a half before the sun came up. No matter! I was actually surprisingly alert after 5.5 hours of sleep; I packed up my work, laced my sneakers and headed over to the gym. I planned on just zoning out on the bike and getting a good chunk of reading in, but the bike turned off after 20 minutes so I moved to the stairmaster. It’s a little harder to read when you’re trying not to fall off a five-foot tall machine! I climbed for 15 minutes, then headed home to work some more, shower, and get ready for work. Days are a lot longer when you get up early!
Quick side note: I used to post my exercise statistics after a workout (with time, calories, etc.) but I didn’t know if that was “useful” or not… I’ve gotten a few e-mails recently requesting them, so please let me know if you’d like me to post them!
Breakfast was another darn fine jar of oats.
- 1/2 cup oatmeal cooked in 1/2 cup water
- canned pumpkin
- pumpkin butter
- 1 tbsp chunky peanut butter
- l tsp lemon curd
- stevia
- cinnamon
I left for work an hour early to get some things done at the office. Because I’d been up so long I ate all three of my snacks before lunch: apple, orange, and Haribo gummies (how’d those get in there?!). When you’ve been up since 5, eating candy at 8:30 in the morning doesn’t sound so crazy.
For lunch I had a Pomegranate Chobani and a big salad.
In the mix:
- leftover salad
- plantains
- sweet potato falafel balls
- Goddess dressing
I ate at my desk and worked through lunch… busy busy day! Around 3:30, I snacked on a Chocolate Peanut Butter Forze Bar. I know this is Melissa‘s favorite flavor!
This bar reminded me of a combination Chewy granola bar, Oreo granola bar (remember those? I used to bring them to day camp in my lunch box), and Reese’s crisp. In other words: I can’t believe it’s not loaded with chemicals!
Ari got home while I was at work, and we set up a last-minute dinner date at David Burke Townhouse for Restaurant Week.
We started with warm rolls and fancy butter that was carved into a tree.
I started with the Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake and Sweet Chili Prawn with orange confitand poppy seed honey. Sweet lordy, this was one of the best crab cakes I’ve ever had, and I’ve tasted my fair share of crab cakes. 8/10
Ari, mushroom fiend that he is, got frothy mushroom soup. This was good, but a little bland… no salt on the tables. 6/10
For my entrée, I took the Scottish Salmon with braised Napa cabbage, charred tomato and curried apple slaw. The salmon was very tender and I liked all of the different textures, but again, was a little bland. 6/10
Ari ordered the Mustard-Crusted Tuna with mushrooms and chicken consommé. I didn’t taste this because of the chicken, but Ari gave it an 8.267/10.
Dessert was an easy choice for both of us: we both chose the Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with peanut butter mousse, roasted banana ice cream, caramelized peanuts and marshmallow. 8/10!
It was a lovely evening with delicious food and fabulous company. We decided to save money and have wine at home instead, so we’re sipping a little white and watching Gone Baby Gone in bed. I’m hoping to be asleep by 11… I’m a grandpa even on date nights!
How cool is that butter? And I am seriously dying over the crab cake. It looks amazing!!
Last week was restaurant week here, too, but our reservations got cancelled due to snow. Luckily they extended it a week so I’m REALLY looking forward to that dinner sometime this week.
Katie!! Hi!! I am literally DROOLING over that pretzel crusted crab cake. Like I need it. Now.
so so glad you liked that bar!!! nom nom!!
and that dessert?! O.M.G. AMAZING!!!
i love the plaintains in the salad too! interesting combo!
aww what a GREAT MEAL! i <3 ahi tuna!
and your lunch salad looks fab!
Restaurant Week is pretty much the most amazing thing ever. Between that crab cake and your man coming home, it sounds like you had a pretty remarkable day!
awww Ari! wahooooooooo
beautiful eats!! id love some fresh seafood right now!!
OMG your eats look gooooood today!
I used to scarf those oreo bars as a kid. Thats if i was chowing on all the kanagroo cookies in my dunkaroos before eating the icing with my finger!! Memories!
that dessert looks/sounds amazing!
so glad he’s home!!!!
and the: Chocolate Peanut Butter Forze Bar.
Had never even heard of those, thanks for the 411!
xoxo
Awwww! So glad your man is with you
Looks like you two had a FABULOUS dinner! Pretzel crusted crab cake? Totally genius- Josh would love this. Getting up extra early is awesome! I love the days I teach at 5:45…my day just starts with such a bang (and I’m doing it three days a week for the month of February so I’m super excited). Great lunchy salad- I really need to make those sweet potato falafel balls. Drool 
Wow– that meal is so fancy!! I love the menu design too.
Yum! You always have the best salads! And now you’ve got me craving plantains.
Glad that Ari is back!
yay! salad looks ridiculous
you woke up at 5?! i need your early am tips. working out before work would make my life easier in EVERY WAY, but my bed is just so warm. and it’s snowy outside.
Your packed lunches always look delish!
I’ve never tried crabcakes, but that sounds really REALLY good to me. As does the dessert…yum!
(oh, Haribo is perfectly acceptable at any hour- my multivitamins are kids gummy ones so I have an excuse to eat candy at 6am)
The pretzel crusted crab cake looks amazing!!!! Of course dessert looked so yum!!!! Gummybears are the best!! My favorite are the red color ones!!!
Hope you have a great day girl!! xoxo
Aww nice that Ari’s home! When you wake up at 5 am to workout going to sleep at 11 doesn’t make you a grandpa! Days do seem so much longer when you work out before work. I can’t decide if I like before or after work gym sessions. Anyway, pretzel coated anything sounds delicious!
You call yourself grandpa wanting to be sleep by 11? I am in bed by latest 9:30 – 10 even on weekend.
The resturant looks very nice.. the food looks amazing specially the chocolate cake
Yay, the bird is back in the cage, hehe!
I went to a FoodBuzz event at DB Townhouse and all the stuff there was quite tasty, though heavy on seafood (which is not my favorite). The DESSERTS, though, blew me away. Cheesecake lollipops, holy moly!
yay for ari being home!! you two are the cutest
i def wouldn’t mind seeing the stats again but if it’s too time consuming for you,its your choice
the whole dinner looks amazing YUM pretzel crusted crab cake?!?
gone baby gone is amazing…did you enjoy it!
yayyyyy for ari being home, and yayyyyyy for sweet potato falafel balls. you know those are on my to-make list already. hope you are well dear katie – lets chat soon
Epic oats in a jar…quick! I need to use up my pumpkin butter so I can try it for myself!
Wow I would totally love to try pumpkin buttah it looks like the bomb diggity
Like my lingo? Im feeling nerdy at the moment haha so its your lucky day!
So fun to see him home! You and the boy make a gorgeous couple.
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