While this is going to be more of a “greatest hits” [...]]]> Good evening and happy Sunday!  How was your weekend?  I just got back from Westbrook, Connecticut, where The Upwelling’s former tour manager got married.  The boys were part of the wedding party so they came back from tour and we all went together.

While this is going to be more of a “greatest hits” post, I want to share a new dressing with you: coconut mint.

Coconut Mint Dressing

• 1/2 tsp shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 small handful fresh mint, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

“Muddle” the mint, coconut and lemon together before adding the rest of the juices.  This releases the flavors and lets them really pop!  I drizzled the dressing over a tempeh/sweet potato/apple/feta salad…

… but it would make a great marinade for fish, shrimp, or tofu as well.   I’m getting so much mileage out of this bunch of mint!

In the car, I had the healthiest and most delicious “candy bar” imaginable: dried fruit stuffed with roasted almonds and bittersweet chocolate chips. These are so good.

Ari bought me a slightly more processed version, but still a favorite nonetheless.  There’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.

When we got to the hotel, I took advantage of the time the groomsmen spent rehearsing to go to the gym.  I ran 3.1 miles (5K), walked another .4, and stretched.  As the Gina always says, no one wants to miss out on the fun, so I try to plan timely activities (like workouts and… ahem… the time I spend getting ready to go out) while everyone else is either sleeping or doing something else.

The bride and groom are both Jewish, and because the rehearsal dinner fell on Friday, we had a traditional Shabbat dinner.  The challah abounded!  Somehow I ended up with three pieces of bread on my plate, but Josh and Ari picked at most of it.

The entrée choices were Vegetable Risotto with Arugula Pesto or Cappelini Rustica; I wasn’t sure which (if any) option was vegetarian, but figured the risotto was a safer bet.  They both turned out to be meat free, and I loved the risotto! It was very rich, though, so I only ate about half of it.  And the flower.  Which I’m pretty sure wasn’t of the edible variety.  Whoops!

Strawberry sorbet for dessert…

… and a fun-size Cookies ‘n Cream Hershey’s bar.   This is one of those weird LVP-isms; I really don’t like white chocolate, but a couple times a year I get cravings that can only be quenched by this particular bar.  The bride and groom must have known this when they stuffed it in our goodie bag!

Also in the bag were these personalized M&Ms; they had the wedding date, photo, names and words printed on them.  Very creative!

We may or may not have gone to a casino late that night (this girl’s first time) to further my blackjack education and lose $5 on the slots.  It was a strange, strange place, I tell ya!  It was HUGE, and the lights are pretty dim and there aren’t any windows so there’s really no way to tell if it’s 4PM or 4AM.  Drinks are free, and you can walk everywhere with them!  People also smoked inside; it’s strange that a few years ago that was the norm everywhere.  The stores were opened past midnight, so Ari and I split a Godiva pumpkin truffle.

We got to the hotel really late, and with the exception of Stew, all slept in past noon.  We woke up famished, so we set out in search of brunch.  Where did our journey take us, you ask?  To the Grand Slam at Denny’s. Yes, you read that correctly.

The Grand Slam is a magical deal that lets you pick four breakfast items for only $5.99.  For an extra $.49 per item, you can choose from three “premium selections” like yogurt, granola or fruit.   We were all very excited.

We placed our orders, then  set to work.  When was the last time you colored at an eatery?

Ari ordered a festive pot of peppermint tea (which came with an unsolicited squirt of peppermint syrup):

I drank my coffee black.

The food arrived: I ordered (dry) whole wheat pancakes, egg whites, oatmeal and a cup of fruit.

I ate all the fruit and eggs (which were buttery but delicious), half of the pancakes and left all of the oatmeal.  Even had I not been an oatmeal snob, I don’t think anything else would have fit in my stomach.

Brunch understandably held me right up through the wedding, and left me with more than enough time to shower, dress (Hollywood Tape did not come through for me as I’d hoped)…

… and watch three hours worth of Married With Children episodes.

The ceremony was beautiful, and while it was traditional in some respects, there were some nice personal touches: the groomsmen walked down the aisle to Semi-Charmed Life, the bridesmaids to Bittersweet Symphony, the bride to Do You Realize?, all performed by a string quartet. There may have been some tears in my corner.

At the dinner reception, the guest seated to my right taught me a helpful trick to remembering where your bread and drinks go in relation to your place setting.

Make the “OK” signal with both of your hands.  Your left forms a lower-case “B” (for bread), and the right forms a “D” (for drink).  How handy!

Speaking of bread, this roll was particularly tasty…

… and where drinks are concerned, I stuck to vodka- sodas.

While we were eating our smoked mozzarella and pesto ravioli appetizer, Josh and Ari played an acoustic version of A-Ha’s “Take On Me” for the bride and groom’s first dance. This was really good, but I let it get cold and only had a few bites.

I didn’t leave a scrap of arugula salad with toasted walnuts, shaved parmesan, and mandarin oranges, however.  The couple next to me thought it was too big, but I would have gladly alleviated them of their portion!  This was my favorite part of the meal.

The entree was grilled salmon with mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. It was good, but I was pretty full by the time this came around and only ate about half of the fish (but all of the veggies!) and gave my taters to Ari.

We danced around on the floor for a bit, but really just enjoyed being with friends and each other.  The band is booked through February with a short break in December, so it was nice to be able to spend the weekend together.

The cake was sliced and brought around: chocolate with strawberry and vanilla buttercream.  I ate about half, then went back out to tear up the rug.

Our eyelids started drooping around midnight, and we were asleep by 1.  We had to hustle in the morning to get back to the city, but we had enough time to have a nice brunch with the wedding party.  I had half of a sesame bagel with cream cheese, eggs, fruit (plus some unpictured grapes), and half a slice of French toast. Coffee abounded, as usual.

It was such a nice weekend.  I really cannot express how grateful I am to have been able to spend a weekend- more like a mini-vacation, actually- with people I love.  The next few days will be pretty busy… The Upwelling goes back on tour tomorrow, and I have a couple interviews for potential jobs.   My healthy habits have been slacking a bit, but one month from this morning (Sunday, December 13) is my 15K race.  I’ve updated my training plan, and will stick to it… I went on a 4.5 mile run late this afternoon.

Regular posting will resume tomorrow.  I hope you had a fabulous weekend, and congratulations to the newlyweds!

Yesterday I had an early-morning appointment with a new physical therapist (mine is in Orlando competing in a Half Ironman!), so, after flirting with snooze for as long as possible, I dragged myself out of [...]]]> Good evening and happy Tuesday! I hope you’ve had a fabulous, fabulous day.  Mine’s been alright… no complaints here!

Yesterday I had an early-morning appointment with a new physical therapist (mine is in Orlando competing in a Half Ironman!), so, after flirting with snooze for as long as possible, I dragged myself out of bed.  This was a little harder than usual, as I got less than five hours of sleep the night before.  Ari was at the All-American Rejects show in Atlantic City the night before, and while I knew he’d be home late, was startled when I woke up at 3:30 and he wasn’t there.  I couldn’t get him on the phone, and because I was still half-asleep, got myself so worked up thinking that something really awful had happened.  He came home at 4 and all was fine, but I don’t know if I’ve ever been so worried.  I can be a little silly sometimes

Anyway, breakfast was quick but delicious: Sarah‘s microwave pumpkin cake topped with raspberry yogurt and walnuts.

Speaking of pumpkins, our little fella has aged quite a bit since Halloween!

My PT session went well.  My temporary therapist told me my muscles are still really tight… I need to be more aggressive with my foam roller and concentrate on the IT band.  It hurts, but it’ll ease up as the muscle loosens.   He also put me on a pilates machine for some quad work.  I’ve only done mat pilates before, but this was fun! I definitely feel its work today.

I raced home to watch Heroes and get lunch with Ari.  I suggested we go to a bagel place that also makes salads, but when we got there and I saw that their ingredients were no better than the ones I had at home (my rule when eating out is only to get something I can’t make at home) I changed my mind and ordered a toasted low-carb bagel with light cream cheese smoked salmon and tomato.

This was good, but so filling.  I’ve never had a meal hold me over for 7+ hours before… note even Thanksgiving!

The rest of the afternoon was meant to be spent reading, but our room was so hot that I fell right asleep!  It’s been unseasonably warm here for the past few days, and it was the same in Minnesota.  Hmm…

While I was snoozing, Ari was out running errands, one of which was a trip to the bookstore.  He got us both copies of The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain for us to do on our own and talk about while he’s on tour.  How do you keep up with friends and loved ones when you’re separated geographically?

He also got me a surprise…

French Wine for Dummies (FWfD)!  Just what I need to kick-start my wine education.  What a nice boyfriend! 

We decided to go on a quick run together before dinner; I didn’t want to run at night by myself, and to be honest I’ve been a bit apprehensive about running outside again.  I haven’t had any pain at all in either of my legs for at least three weeks and have run on the treadmill twice since I was given the OK, but I just wanted some company!  While we ran, Ari taught me the rules of blackjack.  I was so engrossed in his casino tales that before I knew it, I was falling… and falling… and falling… it seemed to take a really long time for me to hit the ground, and Ari acted so quickly and caught me so that I only scraped my palms.  I have never fallen while running before, and I shudder to think of what could have happened if he hadn’t been there… I don’t think I’d be able to handle another injury!

We both had more work to do before we were ready to relax, so I made us a quick and easy dinner: Tomatoey Spiced Chickpeas (which I’ve made before), brown rice and Japanese Cucumber Salad with Vinegar.

This chickpea recipe stood the test of time… Ari really liked it, and he’s a pretty tough judge.  We both agreed the seaweed wasn’t quite right on the cukes; next time I think I’ll cut the pieces a bit smaller.  A miso would probably taste good as well.

We had some De Loach Merlot, a 2006 Californian from the Russian River Valley that my friend Howard gave to me.

Although this isn’t a French wine, I consulted FWfD to learn a little about Merlot. I scanned the table of contents… nothing.  I flipped to the back to search through the index… nothing again!  No Merlot?! It’s a French word!…. Isn’t it?  I flipped to the “Cheat Sheet” at the front of the book to see if anything even starting with “M” made an appearance, and lo and behold! Next to Bordeaux (red) (Wine Type) was an a list: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc (Principle Grape(s)).  Merlot is a type of grape, and just one of several that falls under the category “Bordeaux.” It grows in the Haut-Médoc in Gironde, a region in the southwest of France that is located in the city of Bordeaux.   The Merlot grape is the most commonly planted variety in Bordeaux (FWfD p. 36-38).

So what does this mean for California Merlots? According to the Wine Institute, Merlot grapes were brought to the United States in the mid-19th century, and are mainly used to blend and “soften” a more robust wine.

I’m typically more of a white wine drinker, but I want to broaden my horizons.  This didn’t taste too strong to me, and it did feel sort of “soft” in my mouth, if that makes sense.

Ari’s take: Deliciousness in a sleek and spunky package.  I was impressed by  both the amount of flavornoids and antioxidants.   And I was ready to party.

I was also ready to party… with the freezer.  Häagen-Dazs sent me a coupon for a free pint to make up for their almond-less ice cream, so I picked up a container of their five-ingredient Brown Sugar ice cream.

It tasted so much like brown sugar!  Which, I guess, is an acquired taste… straight sugar isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  Ari wasn’t a fan, but I filled a bowl and topped it with Pure Dark chipotle chocolate.

We did a little more work, and spent the rest of the evening watching Heartburn.  Has anyone seen this?  It was made the year before I was born, and there were so many things I recognized (specific toys, accessories, my mother’s perm…).  The film itself made me a little sad (Mike Nichols directed it), but I liked it a lot.  What movie should I order from Netflix?

P.S.  Holly’s giving away some supa-fancy protein powda!

Yesterday morning, some of us met at 7:30 for a run. We [...]]]> Good morning and happy Monday! By now, I’m sure you’ve all read numerous recaps of the 2009 Healthy Living Summit… I know I have! It’s interesting to see everyone’s take on it, because, like us bloggers, no two experiences are the same.

Yesterday morning, some of us met at 7:30 for a run. We hadn’t had coffee, but look at all those smiling faces! (Thanks to Caitlin for letting me bogart her pictrures )

I joined the 3 mile group, and enjoyed great conversation (pug or German Shepherd?) with like-minded ladies.

We ended up going about 3.5 miles, and I know I could have gone on longer. Having someone (or 10 someones!) to run with makes all the difference.  Do I see a race in my future?

Total time: 33:36 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 192 (96%)
Average heart rate: 172 (86%)

Calories burned: 380

After the run we had over an hour until breakfast, and I needed something for my tum.  Coffee!  I spent an embarrassingly long time trying to find the filters…

… only to discover they were “tea bag” style, and the filters were the coffee. Doh.

The group reassembled and went to Finagle A Bagle for lunch.

Talk about maximum efficiency! The bagels shoot out, assembly-line style…

They are then sliced by a giant spinning blade.

There were so many interesting bagel choices! French Toast, Honey Grain, Stuffed Vegetable…

The line was long, but we were all in an out in no time.  That’s progress, baby, progress.

We found a grassy knoll to sit on and enjoyed our breakfast outside, enjoying the last minutes of the Healthy Living Summit.

It took me a little while to set up my breakfast (I can be a little high-maintenance about that, if you haven’t noticed : On a toasted honey grain bagel, I spread light cream cheese on half, and Barney Butter with honey on the other half.

I also made sure to get some fruit in.

I was in a little bit of a rush to make the 12 PM checkout, but I managed to grab Heather to take a sunglass-twin photo. Why spend good money on fancy shades when you can get sexy ones like these at Target?

I hustled back to the hotel, grabbed my stuff, and hobbled out.  When I got to the station, I surveyed all of the food choices.  Not great, but I did manage to find a Greek Salad at D’Angelo’s.

I wasn’t a fan of the creamy dressing it came with… a relief, because I knew it would also stink up the bus. (I removed the onions for that very reason!)

There was an absurd amount of feta and olives, and I left a lot behind.

I also munched on an apple while reading my copy of Body + Soul from the swag bag. There are some great recipes in there that I can’t wait to try!

The ride from Boston –> New York is almost five hours, so I needed another snack. I went back to the swag bag for a Fruition bar, made by the makers of Pro Bar.

Here’s an idea of the size of the bar, using my camera case:

Pros: There’s a definite strawberry flavor here.  It’s very soft and grainy, so you don’t have to work too hard to eat it like some other sports bars out there. It reminds me of something I ate as a kid during snack time at school (which is reinforced by the sticky fingers you will get upon eating this). I like its snack size; you don’t have to make the 400 calorie commitment that you do for a regular Pro Bar. It also has very pretty packaging!

Cons: It’s a little too soft for me. I wish it would either be firmer like a Larabar, or crunchier like a granola here. There are oats in here, after all, so it shouldn’t be so soggy!

Bottom line: Would I buy this? Maybe. I want to try the other flavors of Fruition; I’ve heard rumors of Blueberry, which sounds pretty good. I don’t know how widely available they are yet (I’ve never seen them in stores), but keep your eyes open!

I shlepped about 100 pounds home from Chinatown and just wanted a comforting meal.  I made my old standby comfort food:

Gliding Calm tofu; a sweet potato with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar; steamed kale with rice wine vinegar; brown rice. This meal really feels like the equivalent of a big bear hug.

Do you have any comfort foods or meals you turn over and over?

I enjoyed dinner with a small glass of Villa Farnia di Farnese’s 2008 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo that my friend Howard gave me.

Frank Bruni describes this as a “good, solid, dependable wine;”  a staple in Italian restaurants.  It is medium tannin, smooth, and has the taste of black fruit.

I enjoyed the wine while watching Revolutionary Road and munching on one of Jenna‘s chocolate chip biscotti.

Er, make that two biscotti. I didn’t want the first one to be lonely!

Another great day. The Summit was a blast.  I had so much fun meeting over one hundred women who love to do some of the same things I do! Who’d a thought, in high school, that that would be possible?

It’s back to the grind, unfortunately, and I have a lot of reading to do. Hope your week is off to a great start!

This post is another “greatest [...]]]> Good morning and happy Tuesday! My mom and I landed at JFK at midnight last night after a wonderful trip out West.  Who knew Utah was so beautiful? I can’t wait to get back over to that side of the country.  Yes, that’s your little East Coast girl talking!

This post is another “greatest hits” mix of road fuel and scenery.  Enjoy!

On Sunday morning, we rushed to the post-wedding brunch.  I was surprised by how many people made it there by 9 (including the groom)… there were quite a few shenanigans on the dance floor, from what I hear… I was a grandpa and was in bed by 11

I loaded up my plate with 1/2 toasted bagel with cream cheese, lox, and onions; fresh fruit; two slices of mini quiche (spinach goat & roasted red pepper) that the father-of-the bride baked himself the day of the wedding.  Impressive, no?!

A couple hours later, I munched on a mini carrot/ginger muffin. This was so good! I was never a muffin person, but I think I’ll be whipping up a batch soon.

We left Park City and drove many miles to Moab.

Wind turbines!

Burger King pit stop… I made do with the BK Veggie (1/2 bun), “apple fries” (more expensive than a Whopper… riddle me that), and a side salad sans dressing.

It got very flat…

As we got closer to Moab, the scenery started to change…

Look at those orange cliffs!

We finally arrived at the Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge, which is located right in the heart of Arches National Park.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

We went to a wine tasting that was 100 feet from our hotel at the Castle Creek Winery.  I bought a bottle of Unitah White to bring home and enjoy later.

We had breakfast overlooking Arches National Park. Don’t mind my bedhead… it was a little early.

We stopped at the Peace Tree for road food:

I got a cup of “Triple A” juice with wheatgrass, carrot, apple, beet, celery & parsley.

When we stopped for lunch, I had what George called my “Instant Bathroom Stop” salad: mixed grains, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, quinoa, and (by my special request) curried hummus, with a lemon tahini dressing.

Bathroom or no bathroom, this salad was amazing.  I have figure out how to make that dressing! Does anyone have any good recipes for tahini salad dressing?

Another A+ Mother/Daughter weekend! So far we’ve gone to Philadelphia, Montreal, Halifax, Killington VT, NYC (for a shopping staycation), and now Park City/ Salt Lake City/ Moab, Utah.

I wonder where we’ll go next year?

On Saturday morning, my mom and I woke up bright and early and headed down to the hotel fitness center. I ellipticized for 20 minutes, did some arms and abs, and [...]]]> Good morning! I hope your week is off to a great start.  We’ve had a great trip, full of unexpected adventures and surprises.

On Saturday morning, my mom and I woke up bright and early and headed down to the hotel fitness center. I ellipticized for 20 minutes, did some arms and abs, and rushed back upstairs to shower and meet our friends in their room for breakfast.  (Because the hotel was set up condo-style, breakfast is not included.)  They’d stocked their room with goodies, so I had 1/2 cinnamon raisin bagel with apricot jam, an apple, and coffee.

We hit the road and drove into Salt Lake.  While it’s not a particular beautiful city, it’s full of whimsical things like public street art.

We took a guided tour, led by two missionaries who were about my age, of the Salt Lake City Mormon Tabernacle. (Click here to learn more.)

It was a really interesting tour, and the grounds were quite beautiful.

Of course, I had my own agenda. In this month’s Gourmet, there was a short section about things to do in Utah.  One of those things was the Downtown Farmer’s Market!

It was enormous.  Every stall had samples, and put our beloved Union Square Market to shame.

I picked up some great chapstick… I’m addicted to this, so I always take advantage of new brands I find.

We bought a carton of raspberries to munch while we looked for lunch.

We decided on Sunbridge, a stall that sold raw/vegan snacks and desserts.

If I didn’t have to worry about transporting them on the airplane, I would have picked up some of their “crackers” and pesto.

My mom got an open-faced sandwich with raw pesto, marinated vegetables, sprouts and mâche.  I had a bite… it was delicious.

I got a flax cracker plate with onion and salsa crackers, pesto, sundried tomato spread, beets, sprouts and mâche.

Our meal was even more enjoyable by the picnic we made out on the grass.

We couldn’t ignore the dessert stands, so we decided on Dolcetti Gelato.

I got half a scoop of lemon sorbetto (a richer, fat-free variety) and coconut gelato.  It was absolutely perfect: rich and fluffy, without leaving me with a bloated after-effect.

Also on the agenda was Tony Caputo’s, a very fancy specialty market.  I was most excited about their chocolate corner.  The store has a “chocolate man” on hand who is so knowledgeable about the chocolates of the world that he can (and did) talk about each variety for 10 minutes at a time.

Of course I had to get some. I didn’t get the $18 chocolate bars, but I did get some good stuff.  And, the store uses 100% decomposable plastic bags, which I loved.

After leaving the markets, we hustled back to Park City to get ready for the wedding.  Iced coffee was a must.

Well, we’re off to the airport!  More later.  Have a great Monday.

Last night, Jalene and [...]]]> Look at me, sleeping the day away and ignoring my blogging responsibilities! Very naughty. Last night was fun, but I got home so late! I’m turning into such a grandmother that staying up past 1 really wipes me out.  Things have changed from freshman year, and probably for the better!

Last night, Jalene and I made personal pizzas.  It looks small, but it was the amount of dough for 1/2 a normal sized pizza, we just didn’t roll it out.

Whole wheat pizza with marinara sauce, spinach, mozzarella, dehydrated tomatoes, 1/2 TJ's salmon patty, black olives & chili flakes.

It was so good! Very doughy, and it gave my stomach the strength it needed for this pomegranate cocktail.

1 part vodka, 5 parts club soda, 2 parts POM juice.

When I got home I was exhausted, but not too tired for cereal! I mixed a bowl of Fiber One and Kashi Autumn Harvest with skim milk, but I didn’t photograph it. Almost like it didn’t even happen!  Cereal has been my go-to late-night snack for years.

This afternoon morning, we woke up and stumbled, bleary-eyed and glasses-clad, to campus for brunch.  I had quite a big meal, but brunch is by far the best meal (and best value) in the cafeteria.

Egg whites with ketchup and 1/2 multigrain bagel wtih cream cheese.

Canteloupe, grapes, honeydew and pineapple.

Flashback to about 10 years ago when these were new in stores!

Reese's Puffs with granola and skim milk.

We were so tired while we were eating (which was probably why I ate so much) that I’m surprised we even made it home.  I went back to bed for 3 hours (Miss Jalene is still snoring away in her room) and then woke up and had an apple with peanut butter.

I’m having dinner out at 6:30 so I probably don’t need much more than that to tide me over, although the dried figs just gave me the eye so I might need to dig into that jar.

Do you have any fun Saturday night things planned, or are you going to laze it up at home?

I’ve never actually seen that video before, but the song came into my head when I looked outside and saw how cold and gray it was. Oh, the 90s were so futuristic!

As delicious as it was, my luscious bowl of oats did not hold me over at ALL. First I had [...]]]> [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeQF5OlSg7Q]

I’ve never actually seen that video before, but the song came into my head when I looked outside and saw how cold and gray it was. Oh, the 90s were so futuristic!

As delicious as it was, my luscious bowl of oats did not hold me over at ALL. First I had some carrots…

Then a graham cracker with almond butter (hard to eat while painting your nails, you know?).

Then I decided just to give in and have lunch. I wanted to try my other new salad dressing:

Honey mustard is one of my FAVORITES, which is kind of a recent development, actually. I always get the fat-free dressing on my subs when I go to Subway on car trips. Yum-a-licious.

Anyway, I used it to dip my Morningstar Farms (Grillers Prime) and spinach into. This was also my first go with the Monarchy ketchup: it tastes so much more tomato-y than Heinz. There are a lot of herbs in the bottle, so it’s a little like pasta sauce… but as a ketchup. Pretty freaking good.

I also had a mini TJ whole wheat bagel with hummus.

I went to class with my gym clothes on, and even raced back home because I forgot my ID. But… too tired for a major workout so I’m just going to do a lovely Yoga Download on our beautiful and [relatively] clean floor. I think I made the right choice.

I don’t think we’re watching a movie in Geocinema tonight, so this is going to be one long 3-hour science class for my poor Humanities brain. Humbug.

Have a great night!

Edited to add: There are so many giveaways this month! Check out Strawberry Shortstuff for a chance to win some yummy bars. Mmm, bars.

They’re basically chocolate stuffed [...]]]> Before my stomach and I decided to wage war, I had a delicious morning making these candy bar bites. Again, Elana,  you are a genius.  (Jalene gave me these heart-shaped pans, aren’t they cute? We’re going to make a big love cake for a certain February holiday that’s coming up.)

They’re basically chocolate stuffed with chopped pecans and almond butter.  Oh my sweet lordy.

I obviously had to taste one (or two)… you’re never supposed to try out new recipes on other people before you know what they taste like! I break that rule quite often.

So, here’s where the trouble started.  I think it was a combination of things… maybe the Snobby Joes had finally had enough, maybe I had a chocolate hangover, or that Jalene was sick, or my new contact prescription… anyway, this combination (romaine, Snobby Joe, chickpeas and cottage cheese) was lethal.

A TJ’s whole wheat bagel with Brummel & Brown…

Just looking at it brings back bad memories.

I’m not going to get graphic about it, but let’s just say this meal made its presence very well known.  Ugh. I slept the afternoon away and am feeling a little better, but I’m going to take it easy on dinner.  I’m bringing some chocolatey treats to my night class, but hopefully by then I’ll be just fine and dandy.

Have a lovely evening!