Early Bird Special

For those who asked, we stayed at Club Med’s Sandpiper Bay resort about an hour outside West Palm Beach, Florida. (I usually keep locations secret until I’ve returned, for privacy purposes.)

Good morning and happy Saturday! Thanks for all of your great responses to your 2011 goals… I’m excited to see where we are in a few months! I find that it always helps to check back and evaluate my progress to keep myself on track and congratulate myself for any successes, big or small.

Speaking of successes, I started the day off on the early side! We went to bed before 10:30 last night, so I woke up at 8 AM feeling well-rested and ready to start the day. Because I’d given myself enough time to get everything done before work at 10:30, I didn’t have to rush through my morning.

I went straight through the gym and caught up with a back-issue of New York Magazine while I worked 30 minutes out on the CrossRamp, followed by abs and curtsy combos. This is one of my favorite strength-training moves, and I love that I target so many muscle groups at once! I also LOVE exercising first thing in the morning. I feel like I accomplished something early in the day (as opposed to dreading a workout and pushing it back for hours), and the endorphins put me in a great mood.

My stomach was grumbling but I decided to wait until I got to work to eat my “real” breakfast. Instead, I microwaved two egg whites and mixed them with salsa to hold me over until 11.

A sign of a good work environment? When you go into “the office” (or the restaurant, in my case) excited to see everyone. I’m sort of a “professional smiler” at work, as I greet customers as soon as they come into the restaurant, but I was smiling way before the first person sat down to eat.

We didn’t have too much fresh food in the fresh, but we have a TON of yogurt and cereal, and I’d brought back some fruit from the trip.

I even brought my own jar of peanut butter! I can feel the eye rolls from across the screen, but you like what you like, ya know? And if I didn’t bring my own breakfast, I’d eat eggs and french fries every morning.

My meal had quite a bit of staying power, and I was satisfied for several hours before my stomach started to grumble.

In the mix:

• 1 small container Oikos Vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup Ambrosial Granola, Venetian Vineyard flavor (review to come!)
• 1 kiwi
• 1 tangerine
• 1 scoop chunky peanut butter

I forgot my “emergency bag” (with comb, chapstick, granola bars) at home, so all I had to snack on at work was an apple.

Family meal wasn’t vegetarian, so I just had a little salad (with a fabulous vinaigrette)…

… and a fresh, Chef-made roll. It was garnished with sea salt, and tasted like a soft, doughy pretzel!

Altogether it wasn’t exactly the lunch of champions, but I had a hair appointment and didn’t have time to look for anything else. I didn’t get anything drastic done, just a bang trim. You probably can’t even tell they were cut! I’m trying to hold out a little longer for a full cut.

When I got home, I changed straight into my comfy clothes. It may have been Friday night, but all I wanted to do was relax in bed with a home-cooked meal. So that’s what we did!

Lately, I’ve been craving like breads, pizzas, pastas… basically, your typical traditional “comfort foods.” When I make these foods at home, I like to bulk them up with vegetables and protein so that I can ensure I’m eating a balanced meal that won’t leave me hungry an hour later. On the plane ride home from West Palm Beach yesterday, I dreamed this recipe up. It’s really simple, and contains ingredients both Ari and I love: chickpeas, kale and pasta!

When we were at the grocery store today, I spotted this organic spaghetti kamut. I’m pretty good at zeroing in on new products, and since it was on sale, I decided to give it a try.

Kamut is an ancient Ethiopian grain whose shape was made popular by Sugar Smacks (later changed to “Honey” Smacks for discerning mothers). I like plain kamut cereal, and was pleased to discover this pasta to be just as chewy and delicious as regular old spaghetti.

LEMONY SPAGHETTI WITH BITTER GREENS & CHICKPEAS

Serves 4-8

• 16 oz (1 box) whole grain spaghetti
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 6 cups (or 1 big bunch) bitter greens such as kale, swiss chard or mustard greens, rinsed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1-15.5 oz can, drained and rinsed
• 2 T olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• parmesan, feta or gruyère cheese (optional)

Bring salted pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, prep your ingredients.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add garlic and, stirring frequently, cook until it begins to brown and grow fragrant, about 2- 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add kale, tossing until all leaves are bright green.

Add lemon zest and juice, and stir in chickpeas until they are warmed through.

Drain pasta, then return to the pot. Stir kale-chickpea mixture in and toss to coat.

Season with salt, pepper and cheese if desired.

Enjoy a glass of red, preferably with a dog on the label.

Followed shortly by a dessert plate with 85% dark chocolate, dried fruit, and roasted almonds.

Not your typical 20something’s Friday night, but it suited me just fine.

What are your favorite strength-training moves? I could use some new ones to mix up my routine!