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

This morning I woke up a little hazy from last night’s escapades, but made do with a strong pot of coffee and a good breakfast. I ate in parts: Peach Chobani Greek [...]]]> What a good day.  I slept in, saw friends, ate well… what could be better? More hours in the day, but alas.

This morning I woke up a little hazy from last night’s escapades, but made do with a strong pot of coffee and a good breakfast. I ate in parts: Peach Chobani Greek yogurt, sweet potato cranberry coconut muffin, Honeybell orange.

After taking my sweet time getting ready and lazing around, I met Caitlin for lunch at Sacred Chow, an organic vegan (and Kosher) cafe downton.

We both got the Souper Hero Combo (soup + 1/2 sandwich); I got a bowl of Sweet Potato and Cassava Soup with dill and Orange Blackstrap Seitan (orange-molasses seitan w/ red-hot onions and Thai ginger bbq sauce on a whole wheat baguette).

This was so good.  My babysitter used to use cassava in her soups and I forgot how much I love it! The sandwich was quite hearty as well, and left my mouth burning (in a good way!).

We also hit up the In God We Trust sample sale, where I fell in love with this beret.  I’ve never been a “beret person”, but this was too cute to pass up!

Caitlin and I parted ways, and I met my friend Levi to see the new Mel Gibson movie, Edge of Darkness.  I really liked it! It reminded me a lot of Michael Clayton, with more blood.  We snacked on gummies in the theater.

I had big plans to do some work while using the bike at the gym, but it was 7:15 by the time I got home and I was just ready to wind down the day.  No biggie, but I really need to start being smarter about cross and strength training… I feel like I’ve taken a sort of lackadaisical approach to this half-marathon I’m supposedly training for. I have a 7 mile run scheduled for tomorrow but my knee still hurts from Thursday’s… if it gives me trouble in the morning, I’m just going to run myself over to the gym and get on that bike instead.

So, in place of gym tales, I present you with a tasty treat:

Sweet Potato Falafel Salad

I’ve been thinking of ways to recreated One Lucky Duck’s Falafel Salad at home without a dehydrator or pricey ingredients.  I’d planned on making a sweet potato version of baked falafel with chickpeas, but lo and behold: no chickpeas in the pantry! I made do with black beans instead, and it turned out mighty fine if I do say so myself.

Sweet Potato “Falafel”

Inspired by this recipe

• 1 handful parsley or cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 sweet potato baked or microwaved until fully cooked, mashed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• salt
• garnishes: paprika, sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix first 6 ingredients together, gently mashing beans with a fork.  Season with salt, to taste.

Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.  Form balls out of 1 tbsp worth of sweet potato mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds and paprika. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once.

Makes about 12 balls.

Tahini Sauce

• 1/2 cup sesame tahini
• 1/2 cup water
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• salt to taste

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Lick spoon.

Raw “Tabouli”

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/3 head of cauliflower (about 2 handfuls)
• 1 handful parsley/cilantro

Pulse cauliflower in food processor until finely chopped. Pulse in red pepper. Pulse in parsley until the mixture resembles confetti.

Not a bad alternative, I’d say! My version is on the left… and doesn’t cost $17.

For dessert, I made strawberry banana soft serve with chocolate chips.  However, I got a little impatient and didn’t wait for the fruit to fully freeze; it ended up being more of a smoothie!

It’s 10:30, but I really want to get some work done before I go to bed, so I’m going to shower, make the bed, and read 100 pages or so.  Big plans for a Saturday night at home!

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?

This morning I woke up a few minutes earlier than usual, spandex-ed myself in hyperspeed, and tore out [...]]]> Evening! This post is going to be so quick, it’ll be over before it’s done.  It’s 11:45 and I’ve been home less than an hour, and am only now climbing into bed.  Old biddy strikes again!

This morning I woke up a few minutes earlier than usual, spandex-ed myself in hyperspeed, and tore out of the house for a 2 mile run before work.  I didn’t even remember my watch (or RoadID), but I know I was fast today.  When I got back, I kept the fast track going and got all ready with enough time to enjoy breakfast without leaving for work a minute late than usual.

Breakfast was a big bowl of yogurt, granola, banana + cinnamon.

Mid-morning, I snacked on a navel orange.

Lunch was over a pound of chili and cornbread.  I was full for the rest of the afternoon!

My new water container was quite a hit today… it stands up all by itself, and holds 16 oz of liquid, more than the average bottle!

Sadly, while at work I missed The Upwelling‘s interview on Fearless Radio… did anyone happen to catch it?

When the workday ended, I met my parents at Turkish Cuisine in Hell’s Kitchen for an early pre-theater dinner.  We toasted Tuesday; my mom had a glass of Chardonnay while I had Pinot Grigio.

Before my dad arrived at the restaurant, my mom and I split an order of Zucchini Cakes with tzatziki sauce.   These were so good.  Dr. Praeger, you’ve got nothing on these little fellas! We raved about them so much that my dad had to order them for himself.

We ate it with warm pita.  I wasn’t too hungry for it at the time, but don’t worry… the remaining pieces came home with me!

For my entrée, I ordered grilled salmon with salad.  The salad dressing was fantastic; it had all kinds of spices in it, like cumin and coriander!  I’ll have to try this.  I ate all of the salad but filled up about halfway through the salmon.  Dads are good at times like these.

Before the play, I popped across the street to The Lite Choice for a small cup of almond butter frozen yogurt with chocolate chips.

The play we saw was the third and final in the Orphans Home Cycle series.  It was my favorite of the three, and I was sad to see it end!  I even stayed awake for all three acts.

I’m off to dreamland.  Have a fabulous Wednesday!

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