This morning I had some things to do before work so I woke up at 5, headed to [...]]]> Thanks so much for your words of encouragement about the running situation… as of now, I’m still planning to run the half-marathon on the 21st, but I’m going to take it one day at a time.

This morning I had some things to do before work so I woke up at 5, headed to the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical, and came home to git ‘er done.  I had a delicious breakfast cookie waiting for me when I got home; I made a similar mixture last week and it was so good that I had to try it again!

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• splash skim milk
• 1 tbsp chocolate PB2
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• toppings: goji berries, Greek yogurt, pumpkin, dried fig, agave

I brought an orange and apple to work… I’m always paranoid about my apples being too noisy, so today I sliced it beforehand.  Did the trick!

I also had a slice of Gluten Free Bran bread… I love more each time I have some! This recipe is a keeper.

My lunch salad did a good job of cleaning out the fridge…

In the mix:

• mixed greens
• steamed broccoli
• celery
• grape tomatoes
• goji berries
• dried cranberries
• TJ’s Vegetable Marsala burger (I missed these!)
• Goddess dressing (mixed in at work)

Danielle had bought a package of Lemon Poppyseed Heart Thrive bars and wasn’t a fan, so she gave me the remaining bar.   I love these!  They were great snacks when I was in Russia, and just as good today.

Dinner required little planning, but worked out perfectly.

I made SELF’s Creamy Lemon Shrimp, halving the recipe and making a few substitutions:

• Greek yogurt in place of plain yogurt/ sour cream
• celery in place of chives
• agave in place of sugar
• spinach in place of arugula

It may not look so pretty, but I really enjoyed this!  It was healthy, voluminous, and filled me right up.

I packed half for lunch tomorrow; I love when I don’t have to think about what to prepare for the next day.

Dessert was Banana Soft Serve with a melted square of Bakers chocolate.

A superoon may have also sneaked its way in

Off to watch Gossip Girl!  It’s a lovely, lazy night.  Have a great one.

This morning I got up at 5:30 to go to the gym and finish some work for the day.  I had a two mile “easy run” scheduled, which I carried out as [...]]]> Evening, Chickadees! Is there snow where you are? I woke up to flurries but came home to slush.  Funny how that happens!

This morning I got up at 5:30 to go to the gym and finish some work for the day.  I had a two mile “easy run” scheduled, which I carried out as follows:

Mile .00-.25: 5.8, incline 1%

Mile .25-.75: 6.5, incline 1%

Mile .75-1.00: 7.5, incline 1%

Mile 1.00-1.75: 6.5, incline 1%

Mile 1.75-2.0: 6.0-3.5, incline 1%

Total distance: 2.0 miles

Total time: 18:46 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 195 (98%)

Average heart rate: 184 (93%)

Calories burned: 238

When I got back home I did some quick ab work before making a breakfast inspired by Julie.

I could have sworn I saw her make a breakfast sandwich with whole wheat bread, laughing cow light cheese, nut butter and a banana.  When I went to check the exact recipe, I couldn’t find it anywhere!  You did make this, right Julie? Am I going crazy?! In any event, it was delicious toasted.  Definitely going to be repeated! I added some cinnamon for good measure.

My bank account was happy when I remembered my lunch today.  I brought a salad (mixed greens, 1/2 avocado, tofu, tomato, dulse, Annie’s lite Raspberry Vinaigrette), orange, apple, Strawnana Chobani Greek yogurt, and the last (:-() of my One Lucky Duck Rosemary Quackers.

I was hungry (and mindlessly eating) all day; I ate all of the fruit before lunch and snacked on a Chocolate Peanut Butter Forze bar in the afternoon.

Tonight was Act III of our Family Dinner series (read parts I & II), and I’m pleased to report it was another success!  We’ve had our dinners on weekends before, so we were all quite impressed we pulled this off on a weeknight.  Christine made salad (arugula, cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots) and asparagus and I made Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts with brown rice. (The tofu was good, but could have used a little more flavor.  I found myself adding salt shake after salt shake.)

For dessert, Ilana made banana splits! Mine had fresh strawberries, bananas, chocolate chip cookie dough & vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, salted peanuts and sprinkles, served in a waffle bowl.

It was so good, but OOF!  I have quite the ice cream baby tonight

I’ve gotten several questions about the book I’m reading, Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project.

While I’m usually a die-hard fiction kind of gal and would never think of reading anything even remotely resembling a self-help book, this caught my eye.  Gretchen Rubin, a full-time writer, mom and New Yorker, had an Aha! moment when she realized that while she wasn’t unhappy- and was certainly not depressed- she thought she could be happier.  So she mapped out a year-long plan, with overarching goals (or “Resolutions”) for each month, such as Boost Energy, Lighten Up, Make Time for Friends, Remember Love, etc., and sub-categories to help her reach them.

With my busy reading schedule I’m only able to read for pleasure during my commute to and from work, so I’m only about a third of the way through the book.   Thus far, I’ve gotten some interesting ideas.  While much of Rubin’s findings are pretty general (there are many sentences beginning with “Studies find…”), she holds herself accountable for her goals by tracking them with a daily log and monitoring her progress month-to-month.

Two suggestions most appealing to me are:

• Get more sleep
• De-clutter the living space

On her blog, she has a list of Twenty Very Easy Tips For Lowering Your Daily Stress Level. I’ve tailored this a little for my own needs, and come up with:

• Go to bed 30 minutes earlier.  I’ve been going to bed between 11 and 12, but I’m going to try to be in bed at 10 with the lights and computer off at 10:30.
• Before sleep, prepare for the morning.  Pack lunch, lay out work clothes and gym clothes.
• Make a list. Making it now!
• Exercise. I’ve been better about this lately; I’ve been more consistent these past few weeks when I get up early to go in the morning.
• Put a Bandaid in your wallet.  I have a pack in my purse and a box in my desk, and lordy knows I need them when I wear heels!
• Make your bed. This is key.  Coming home to a made bed (or making it even if I’ll be home during the day) makes things so much neater and just gives the day a more positive, organized feel.  I’m grateful to Ari who makes it every morning after he wakes up (he sleeps several hours later than I do) so I’m greeted with a tidy living area when I get home.

I’ve been procrastinating about cleaning the closet; even though it’s not a big deal, it seems like an insurmountable task! But I made a promise to Ari that it’ll be taken care of when he comes home on Saturday, and I intend to keep it.

What are your tips for making day-to-day life less stressful?

Well, I’m off to go make my first point a reality! Night

I loved my oatmeal combination so much  yesterday that I made the same thing today (minus the jar)! Oatmeal with cinnamon, stevia, pumpkin, pumpkin butter, lemon curd and chunky peanut butter. [...]]]> Right now I’m in bed, under the covers and watching Spanglish… and I have nothing to do tonight!  Life is good

I loved my oatmeal combination so much  yesterday that I made the same thing today (minus the jar)! Oatmeal with cinnamon, stevia, pumpkin, pumpkin butter, lemon curd and chunky peanut butter. Sorry to bore you, but this may make a reappearance tomorrow, too!

I was too tired to make lunch last night, so I got up a little earlier to pack it today: carrots, orange, blueberry Chobani and a big salad.

In the salad bowl:

• spinach
• small Granny Smith apple
• 1/3 block tofu
• grape tomatoes
• walnuts
• dried cranberries
• feta
• Herbs de Province salad dressing borrowed from Danielle… someone pilfered the bottle I keep in the fridge at the office!

Around 3:30 I dug into the snack drawer for something to chew on (I really need to get some gum!) and came out with a Caramel Chocolate Forze bar.

While there wasn’t a whole lot of “caramel” flavor here, it was still yummy!  It tastes like a sweet, chocolatey cookie.  It’s probably ranked #3 right now out of the flavors I’ve tried (Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Decadence are tied), but I still have on more to try.

I was zonked when I left work at 5:30 but I had two miles to run (according to my half-marathon training schedule) so I headed to the gym after work. My heart rate monitor took thirty minutes to start working… I am so close to getting a Garmin.

Mile 1-1.25:  5.8 mph

Mile 1.25-1.95:  6.5 mph

Mile 1.95-2.0:  5.8 mph

Total distance:  2.0 miles

Total distance:  20:00

Average heart rate:  165

Maximum heart rate:  189

Calories burned: 213

This was supposed to be an “easy run” at a 10:54 pace, but… on a treadmill, that felt like an eternity, and I wanted to get it done as quickly as possible! So I got a little impatient, but I think I paced myself pretty well and would have been able to carry on a conversation throughout. So, I think that’s my new definition of an “easy run”!  What is an “easy workout” for you?

Dinner was quick and easy: leftover fettuccine with mushrooms- to which I added a slice of tempeh bacon to make “vegetarian carbonara”- and steamed cauliflower with Emeril’s Original Essence, à la Miss K.

Then I had a long-lost favorite: a dessert plate!  My lovely Jess reminded me that it’s been a while since I had one, so I re-stocked my dried fruit stash.  This plate had two Medjool dates, a dried peach half, dried apricot, dried fig, prune, almond butter, and Peppermint Chocolove. Have you ever made a dessert plate? How do you make it?

Spanglish is a-callin’… I really like it!

And in honor of Groundhog Day, one year ago today: February 2, 2009!

Before I left I had a slice of [...]]]> This morning when I woke up, I was not feeling my 7 mile run.  I checked the weather: 15 degrees.  It seemed like a much better idea to just lie in bed… but I knew I’d feel better about my training plan if I did it.

Before I left I had a slice of whole wheat toast with coconut butter and raspberry jam.

It was really cold.  I finally got to the point where the wind didn’t hurt anymore, but when, after 5 miles, I popped back into the apartment for a quick pit stop to answer nature, I found that my legs were completely numb! So… it was quitting time.  I may not have gotten 7 miles in, but I made do with 5.

Breakfast was a quick bowl of savory oats; that cute lil’ egg shape is the result by whisking an egg and than microwaving it for 45 seconds.

• 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1/2 cup water
• cottage cheese
• 1 whole egg
• Frank’s Red Hot sauce
• black pepper

I also had an orange to help get me through my reading and laundry-folding…

Er… woke up two hours later. So much for that burst of energy!  I made a big salad for a quick lunch…

In the mix:

• spinach
• dulse
• tofu (1/3 block)
• tempeh bacon (2 slices)
• mushrooms
• steamed broccoli stems
• Rosemary Quackers (from One Lucky Duck)
• rice wine/olive oil/mustard vinaigrette

After lunch I made took my grocery list and went to my new favorite supermarket to stock up for the week.   I really could have spent hours in there! Unfortunately there was no time for that… when I got back home and put everything away, I plunked back down to work, snacking on a Granny Smith apple with cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne.  I like this combination! The extra zing! kept me awake this time.

It was Family Dinner night at our house tonight! (Read about our first Family Dinner here.) My contribution was a big salad with Boston lettuce, radicchio, Fuji apple slices, shaved parmesan, dried figs and parsley.

I also made plantains (sliced and sautéed in marjarine until lightly crispy)… they were so good that we all just ate them out of the pan with our fingers! (Forgot to take a photo of these, sorry.)

Ilana made fettuccine with wild mushrooms and parsley…

… and Chrsitine made a delicious strawberry and blueberry pie!  She topped our slices with dollops of Vanilla Chobani.

I’m so impressed with our Family Dinner endeavors… we already have our next date booked.   I’m on entrée duty next time… what is your favorite weeknight crowd-pleasing dinner?

Back to the grind.  Hope your week is off to a great start!

I watch a lot of movies, so keep those suggestions coming!

Whew, this day has been long! Still going strong, though [...]]]> Thanks for all of your movie suggestions! Here’s what’s on the running list:

• Lars and the Real Girl
• Up In The Air
• The Soloist
• Away We Go (I just saw this… loved it!)
• The September Issue
• In The Loop
• Inglourious Basterds

I watch a lot of movies, so keep those suggestions coming!

Whew, this day has been long! Still going strong, though

I knew I was going to have to work from home after leaving the office at the end of the day, so I woke up at 5:45 to get my 6 mile training run in.  Somehow, even though I’d laid out all of my clothes the night before, I didn’t end up leaving the house until 6:15! This was partly because my heart rate monitor wasn’t working and I was waiting for it to kick in… I think this weekend I will cave and finally pick up a Garmin.  Coincidentally, my former boss just e-mailed me to tell me he’s fallen in love with the Garmin he got for the holidays!

Before I headed out, I fueled up with a mini Clif bar.

I haven’t wanted to run early in the morning because I was concerned about safety; it’s dark when I wake up and my route takes me through the park.  This morning I stayed in populated areas, wore my neon reflective running jacket, and strapped on my RoadID.  By the time I was halfway through my run the sun had risen and it was starting to snow!  There is something immensely satisfying and calming in being out and about while people are just waking up and starting their day.

During the last few blocks I started getting pain in my right knee (what I think I can now safely refer to as “Runner’s Knee”… probably no meniscus damage) so I had to take a few walking breaks.  I ended up running through most of the pain, though, so I wouldn’t be late to work!  It felt great to have 6 miles under my belt before the day even started, and not have to crank it out on the treadmill later on.

I didn’t have a whole lot of time to eat breakfast, but I managed to have a nice, filling bowl of oatmeal.

• 1/2 cup oats cooked with 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• Gala apple, microwaved with cinnamon for 90 seconds
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• stevia

The snow was really coming down while I walked to work.

Snacked on an orange at work…

My mom met me for lunch at the Atrium, a Greek cafe in the Onassis Towers in Midtown.

I was ravenous when we sat down, and ordered just what I was craving: spanikopita (spinach and phylo pie) with Greek salad.

No scrap was left behind!

I was still hungry when I got back to the office… must have been that run!  I tore into the Forze bars I won from a contest Melissa hosted…

My sweet tooth demanded Chocolate Decadence.

I really liked this!  It tastes just like candy… must be a new trend in energy bars!  The texture reminded me of a delicious European cookie, crunchy and sweet.  It had an almost Nutella-like taste… must be the roasted almonds used in the bar!  Can’t wait to try the other flavors.

I stayed at work a little late to maximize what I did in the office so I would have less to do at home.  An apple held me over until I got home, although honestly, I was still really hungry after that bar! I don’t know what’s going on with my appetite…

I was excited to use my new toy to make dinner.

Finally got a spiralizer!  I’ve actually had this for a couple weeks, but haven’t had time to give it a test run.  I had a little trouble with it at first (which may or may not have resulted in a slew of profane mutterings), but finally my zucchini was given new life.

I should have just made a really simple sauce for this, but since I’ll be out for dinner tomorrow I wanted to use up the leftovers in the fridge.  And when I say “leftovers,” I mean all of the leftovers.  Oh lordy.

Yep, that would be grape tomatoes, broccoli, teriyaki-glazed tofu, mushrooms and broccoli pesto.  And if that wasn’t enough?

I dipped it in crab soup!  This was a definite “What was she thinking?!” moment.  It’s never a good sign when you already have a fiber belly from nibbling on veggies before you even begin your dinner.  Oofdah.  But, after I gave myself some time to spend some horizontal time on the couch, I was ready to devour a homemade peanut butter cup.  It was so good that I almost made another one, but I was all out of the dark chocolate I like so I just had an orange.

Back to work I go… it’s going to be a late night, and an early morning.  I’m very behind in the Reader… I guess I’ll just have to catch up with ya over the weekend.

Have a great night! Bonne nuit

I did not, as planned, practice yoga last night.  Instead I caught up with my [...]]]> Happy almost weekend! Thursday just kind of snuck up on us, yeah? And, from your responses about stress, it seems like we could all use a little weekend rejuvenation.  How do you plan to relax on your days off?

I did not, as planned, practice yoga last night.  Instead I caught up with my little red-headed, snuggling in bed with the phone.  It felt just like high school again!  Some friendships will always stay strong.  I set my alarm for 6:30 and got up to do a 20 minute hip opening flow on Yoga Download.  I was still pretty tired so I kept my eyes shut the whole time; it felt amazing! My hips have been really tight from sitting in a chair all day.

Breakfast was a big bowl of oatmeal, eaten in bed while watching Grey’s Anatomy.

• 1/2 cup oats made with 1/2 cup water
• warmed frozen berries
• 1 banana
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 scoop almond butter
• stevia
• cinnamon

After I finished eating, I peeled back the covers and “slept” for another 10 minutes.  It probably didn’t do anything to take away my drowsiness, but it was too comfy to resist.

I acted as courier and dropped a package off for my boss for someone in my neighborhood; I’d anticipated getting to work late as a result, but I arrived only 20 minutes later than usual!  I love when the subways run on schedule.  Running around seemed to stimulate my metabolism, so I snacked on an orange to soothe my hunger.

It worked… for about 30 minutes.  Then to the snack drawer I went!  I had a mini Chocolate Brownie Clif Bar.

Luckily lunch was filling.

• Salad with kale, spinach, goji berries (soaked to plump!), carrots, grape tomatoes, feta, blush champagne vinaigrette
• Moroccan Gazpacho
• Fuji apple (saved to eat as an afternoon snack)

I was scheduled to do speedwork at the gym today, and I’ll be honest: I really didn’t think I was going to make it.  As I’ve mentioned, it’s incredibly difficult for me to stay focused and motivated while on the treadmill, and even if I cover the screen with a towel, I keep peeking to see how much time has gone by.  Tedius!  But, I made it through the session and logged my miles.  Speedwork is great because it forces you to keep changing things up!

Mile 1: warm-up at 5.8 mph, 0.5% incline

Miles 1.1-4.0: intervals: 1600 (.25 mile) @ 6.9 mph, 800 (.125 mile) @ 6.2 mph. Continuous repetition. 0.5% incline

Mile 4.0-4.75: 5.8 mph + two 7.2 mph sprints @ 0.5% incline

Mile 4.75-5.0: 3.5-4.5 mph

Total time: 48 minutes

Celebrate the tiny victories!

When I got home, I went straight to the kitchen to start making dinner.  The upside of your boyfriend being gone a lot of the time?  No one cares if you’re a sweaty mess!  Unfortunately, no one was here to eat this dinner with me.

I’ve gotten several e-mails asking me about tempeh! How to eat it, does it need to be cooked, my favorite recipes, etc.  Tempeh is one of my favorite proteins, but I didn’t even really start eating it until about a year ago!  Now, I eat it all the time: in salads…

In sandwiches…

Or just plain grilled!

But what is tempeh, exactly?

• Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and is often produced with other grains.

• It has a firm texture and a slightly bitter taste; if the taste bothers you (I don’t mind it), you can always boil it in water for a few minutes.  Boiling it allows it to more easily absorb the flavors of whatever sauce you choose to marinate or top it with, if any.
• It’s a protein powerhouse! One serving of tempeh can have as much as 18g of protein (not to mention it’s free of cholesterol).

How I eat tempeh

• Like tofu, I often just dice it up and eat it as is on top of a salad.   I realize this isn’t for everyone and I didn’t love it at first, but now it’s one of my favorite proteins! It technically is already “cooked”, so you don’t have to “do” anything to it.  Again, the taste can be a little strong, but I find a good salad dressing with a good mix of sweet and spicy components really compliments this bitterness.
• Grill it! Simmer the tempeh for about 10 minutes, then marinate in your sauce of choice (Gliding Calm’s tofu rub works wonderfully) for anywhere from 20 minute to 1 hour, depending how much time you have.  Then plop your tempeh on the grill (or Geoge Foreman, if you’re an apartment dweller like me) and cook until grill marks form. Switch sides.
• Toss it in a stir fry or curry!

Coconut Tempeh Curry

Inspired by this recipe.

• 1 small sweet potato
• 2 small yukon gold potatoes, or other potato of choice, peeled and diced
• 1-1/2 t salt
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 8 oz tempeh, diced
• 1/4 t turmeric
• 1 t allspice
• 1/2 t garam masala
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t cayenne
• 1-15 oz can crushed tomatoes in thick purée
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 2 T plain nonfat yogurt
• optional garnishes: cilantro, mint, or parsley (whatever you have on hand), shredded coconut, agave nectar

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Place potatoes in steamer basket and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt; steam until they are tender, 20-30 minutes.  The sweet potatoes may take a shorter length of time; if this happens, remove them from the basket when they are done and continue to cook the yellow potatoes.

Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large skillet until it shimmers.  Add onion and sauté over low 5 minutes, or until tender.  Add spices.  Stir.  Add tomatoes and remaining 1/2 tsp salt.  Stir in yogurt until mixed well.  Add tempeh and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add spinach and cover about 5 minutes or until leaves begin to wilt.  Once potatoes finish cooking, add them to the skillet and remove from heat, stirring to combine.

Serve, garnishing with agave nectar, cilantro (or other fresh herb), and shredded coconut.

Serves 4.

I enjoyed my curry with Turkish rice.  It was fabulous! I definitely recommend a light drizzle of agave or maple syrup… it really brings out the flavor.

Do you like tempeh? What is your favorite way to eat it?

Dinner was enjoyed with a glass of “3 Buck Chuck” from Trader Joe’s.  It was delicious! I would have had no idea that it only cost three dollars.  I’m glad I know it’s good… I’ll have to stock the wine rack with it!

I had last of the Easy Chocolate Mousse for dessert.  It may have been even better today, three days after I made it! I sprinkled my bowl (AKA Tupperware container ) with cinnamon and chocolate chips.

While I ate, I watched Away We Go.  I loved it! It might make my top 10 list.

Now, it is far past my bedtime.  Have a great night! I’m going to be out tomorrow night, so if I don’t “see” you tomorrow, have a lovely weekend

This morning I did not want to get out of bed.  I snoozed and snoozed, finally rousing myself at 7:20 to put a pot of coffee on.  Showering at night saves so much time! [...]]]> Evening and happy humpday! Even though this is a four-day week, it definitely felt like a steep climb towards Wednesday.

This morning I did not want to get out of bed.  I snoozed and snoozed, finally rousing myself at 7:20 to put a pot of coffee on.  Showering at night saves so much time! I made a bowl of Tutti Frutti Nutti Oats and climbed back into bed to watch the news.

• 1/2 cup oats made with 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp unsweetened coconut
• 1 banana
• 2 dried apricots
• 1 scoop flaxy peanut butter (almost finished with the jar!)
• cinnamon
• stevia

I was pretty busy today, but I managed to snack on a Fuji apple during a calm moment.

At 1, Danielle and I took our lunch outside to eat.

I had a bowl of Moroccan Gazpacho with pita and a small salad with romaine, mushrooms, green beans and tomato (they’re under there, I promise!).

This soup is a keeper! Instead of using pine nuts (as the recipe calls for),  I used chopped almonds.  And because I’d made this soup on Monday the raisins were nice and plump, and the sweet spicy flavor was really brought out.

When I got back to my desk, I had a vegan energy bar. So much for waiting until later in the afternoon! It did hold me over for the rest of the day, though.

After work, Leslie and I met at Galaxy Global Eatery for dinner.  I’ve passed it hundreds of times and had no idea what it was.  Even when inside, Leslie and I couldn’t quite figure out what kind of atmosphere GBE was going for! It was sort of like a combination dive bar, old-school diner, and health-food restaurant.

We shared an order of sweet potato tamales with cilantro butter, which came out less than two minutes after we ordered them.  They were okay, but I definitely prefer Peacefood‘s. The cilantro butter definitely made the dish!

Leslie and I ordered the same entrée, thte Starlight Caesar Salad with romaine hearts, frissé, fried caper blossoms, cornmeal crusted tofu, avocado, lotus crostini & vegan hemp caesar dressing.

Galaxy Global Eatery may not have been my favorite restaurant, but the company made it memorable.  We’ll have to get together again soon, Leslie!

I was more than ready for dessert when I got home, and headed straight for the freezer before I even took off my coat.  I had Naked, Mint Galactica, and Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Coconut Bliss Ice Cream, eaten straight out of the carton, topped with chipotle and cardamom hot fudge.

It’s almost 9:30, and my goal is to be in bed having showered, made tomorrow’s lunch, watched Grey’s Anatomy (from last week) and practiced light yoga by 11.  Doable? You know it!

On a scale of 1-10, how stressful is your average day?

I was up at 8:30 on my own and was anxious to get the day going.  Now that I don’t have as much free time as I used to, I don’t like to waste any of it!  I had a quick, scrumptious [...]]]> It’s been quite the productive day, if I do say so myself!

I was up at 8:30 on my own and was anxious to get the day going.  Now that I don’t have as much free time as I used to, I don’t like to waste any of it!  I had a quick, scrumptious pumpkin cake to start the day on a good note.

• canned pumpkin (last dregs of the last can… must restock ASAP before they leave stores!)
• egg whites
• 1 tsp TJ’s pumpkin butter
• 0% Fage Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp flaxy pb
• 1 tsp lemon curd
• agave nectar
• cinnamon
• nutmeg

After breakfast I made a meal plan for the week, then went out to shop for it.  Although I went to four stores, I got most of my groceries not at the expensive health food store, but in the ethnic aisle of my local supermarket!  Get a load of this hot ticket:

That would be Coconut Oil from Guyana.  If I had purchased a similar item at aforementioned health food store, it would have cost me $15.  This little guy was $2.49!  What’s the most interesting food item you’ve found where you were least expecting it?

I spent the rest of the morning making a few lunches for the week; I’m going to be out at least two nights so lunch will be one less thing I’ll have to worry about.  Despite a gloomy forecast, it was beautiful out  and still early in the day so I decided to go for a run.  It was great! I really needed to get outside and breathe fresh air, see living trees (we have a fake plant in our bedroom), and just go.  It was a success!

Total distance: 4.5 miles

Total time: 42:19 minutes

When I got back I did a quick ab series, then made lunch.  Hugh dropped by, too!

In the mix:

• curly-leaf kale
• spinach
• carrots
• celery
• tempeh bacon (finally found it!)
• grape tomatoes
• goji berries, soaked to plump
• dried cranberries
• pumpkin seeds
• Rosemary Quackers
• agave/rice vinegar/soy sauce/toasted sesame oil/sesame/salt/pepper vinaigrette

I made some of Mama Pea’s Vegan Energy Bars to put in my desk at work…

… which had to be sampled to make sure it was good, off course.  It was

I got into bed to read for work nap, and woke up hankering for a crisp Fuji apple. (Recycled photo alert!)

Ilana, Christine and I had the first of many Family Dinners tonight, served pot-luck style.

“I’m cooking!”

We sipped probiotic cocktails…

Ilana made delicious green beans, mushrooms, and broccolini using a family friend’s trusted recipe.

Christine made a refreshing veggie-full salad with mixed greens, green + red pepper, grape tomatoes an scallions.

She also made vegetarian chili + cornbread!

We certainly did not go hungry; we feasted like queens!  Everything was delicious, and I’ll be very happy to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

For desesrt, I made the same vegan chocolate mousse that Dynise (the Urban Vegan) made at the cooking demonstration on Saturday.  It’s so easy: 3 ingredients, and it only takes 5 minutes!

My food baby (Claude) is quite content tonight

I’ve been having trouble fitting my huge metal water bottle into my purse to bring to work every day; Christine found these genius collapsible, BPA-free and environmentally friendly water bottles.  Look how cool they are!

I’ll let you know how I like them.

Please excuse me while I take my time catching up on your e-mail questions… I’m a little behind. Off to do some reading for work… hope to be asleep by 12!

Have a great night

Do you have “casual Fridays” at work? Every Friday at my office, everyone wears jeans!  It really does make the environment a little more relaxed.

A very long week has drawn to a close, and even though ti’s 8:45 on a Friday night, I can’t think of a place more appealing than bed right [...]]]> Ahhhh.

Do you have “casual Fridays” at work? Every Friday at my office, everyone wears jeans!  It really does make the environment a little more relaxed.

A very long week has drawn to a close, and even though ti’s 8:45 on a Friday night, I can’t think of a place more appealing than bed right now!  I got up at 5 this morning in order to get everything done before work, and although I rode a pretty steady stream of energy all day (bless you, Mr. Coffee), I “crashed” just after dinner.  Old biddy is right!

I waited until 7 to make breakfast this morning, then mixed up the ingredients for Tina’s 3-Minute Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, substituting dried cherries.

It popped right out of the bowl without sticking at all! I topped the cookie with Greek yogurt, a banana, and agave nectar.

I was expecting this to be soft and moist like Gina‘s cookies, but this version had the texture and consistency of a real, baked cookie!  I love them both; I’ll definitely use this recipe the next time I have a cookie craving but don’t want to make a whole batch.

At work, I snacked on a Fuji apple.

My lunch was of the “kitchen sick” variety; I shopped so well when I planned my meals that there was nothing extra in the fridge.  I need to re-stock my produce tomorrow!

In the mix:

• sushi rice
• seaweed
• TJ’s Sorrento salad blend
• pineapple
• 1/3 block tempeh
• grape tomatoes
• feta cheese
• marinara sauce/ balsamic “dressing” (didn’t quite do it for me, so I borrowed some of Danielle’s Italian dressing )

I also had yogurt…

Sunflower seeds…

And a Chocolate Peanut Butter Luna Protein Bar later in the afternoon.  I loved this one, too!  Again, it doesn’t exactly taste like a Reese’s, but it’s pretty delicious.  Yep, there was a little mindless eating going on… just a case of the Fridays, I guess!

After work, Ilana and I tried to see the Tim Burton exhibit at MoMA, but it was completely sold out by the time we got there.  I’ve heard similar reports from other friends who have tried to go; I think the only way to actually get in is to go when they first open in the morning.   I do hope I get to see it before it closes :-/

Dinner was quick, comforting, and straightforward: Annie’s Mac & Cheese with one small sweet potato, a can of tuna, and chili flakes.  Loaded mac & cheese never gets old!

I wanted a special- but fast- dessert, so I made a dark chocolate peanut butter cup using a mix of flaxy peanut butter and almond butter.  I kind of want another one, but I think I’ll be asleep by the time it freezes!

Tomorrow’s pretty booked, but I want to make sure I take some “me” time this weekend.  I’ve been a little stressed this week, and I need to relax and rejuvenate.  Any suggestions? The first step is getting some sleep!

Bonne nuit