On Christmas morning, we headed into the living room to open presents, drink [...]]]> Another Christmas has come and gone, but for the first time that I can remember, I’m not experiencing that “let down” feeling one day, even two days after that’s similar to what I felt my first day home from sleepaway camp.

On Christmas morning, we headed into the living room to open presents, drink tea and coffee, and chat.

I was completely shocked to open a package and find…

the new Canon PowerShot s90!  I’d been debating on whether I wanted to get an SLR or a smaller camera; I wanted an SLR for the quality, but didn’t want the hassle of carrying around another bag all the time.  Well, this camera has the quality of the SLR, and it automatically adjusts to the appropriate setting, be it portrait or macro.

Eager to try out my new toy, I wasted no time by snapping photos of our special Christmas-morning breakfast: banana pancakes!

I wanted some protein…

…so I topped my three pancakes with plain Oikos Greek yogurt and real maple syrup.

It was quite a festive morning.

We hung around the house for a little while (Ari read me the first 20 pages of the camera manual), then headed out to the movie theater to see Sherlock Holmes.  We always see movies on Christmas Day, and tend to go to the big blockbusters.  The rest of New York City seemed to have the same idea as us; the line was so long it snaked up three flights of stairs!  Luckily, my parents got there early and were in the front of the line.  We tease my mom for wanting to get to movies, restaurants, and airports early, but sometimes she’s right

Meanwhile, Ari and I stopped at a deli to get lunch.

My spinach salad had beets, mandarin oranges, carrots, curried shrimp cucumbers, blue cheese and honey mustard dressing on the side.

We also snacked on chestnuts my dad had roasted in the morning…

… and sneaked some homemade, unbuttered (but generously salted!) popcorn in… all of a sudden, I can’t get enough salty snacks!

The movie was really good (as was the eye candy); although I fell asleep for the first hour.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me- you really can’t take me anywhere! The theater was pretty warm, though.  It was pouring rain when we left the theater, so we hurried home to leftovers and a warm apartment.

We had pumpkin/sweet potato/coconut soup…

… pasta using slow-roasted tomatoes for sauce (delicious)…

… and a palate-cleansing fennel-and-navel-orange salad.

We gobbled up the last of the bûche de Noël for dessert, of course!

The magic of the holidays doesn’t seem to be dissipating, no matter how old I get or how “adult” my life may seem to be.  It’s not about gifts or fancy dinners, but a time to share with my family and those I love.

I hope you had a happy, healthy and safe holiday.  Until next year…

Read about last year’s Christmas at the LVP household!

Yesterday I got up early, packed up, had a quick breakfast and headed out.  I [...]]]> Is it wrong that it’s only 9:15 and I’m considering going to sleep as soon as I Love You, Beth Cooper (one of the silliest movies I’ve seen) is over?  When sleep calls, I’m not one to ignore it!

Yesterday I got up early, packed up, had a quick breakfast and headed out.  I toasted an Ezekiel English muffin and topped one half with a light Babybell cheese and egg whites and the other with peanut butter and raspberry jam. Fun fact: I lost my first tooth in a Babybel cheese!

I met my mom at our voting station to do my duty, then took care of some paperwork so my visa will be in order for Russia.  I still can’t believe I’ll be there in less than a month! I also can’t believe the high will be 9˚ Fahrenheit.  Brr!

Mama brought me a Jonagold to help me sign and date papers for the embassy.  It was hard work!

When that was all taken care of, we set off in search of a great coat for an even better price.  We found a good one at The North Face, but are going to keep checking around some more.  Who makes your warmest coat?

We broke for lunch at Le Pain Quotidien.  Because it’s a chain restaurant, they’re required to post the calories in all of their dishes.  Their meals are really healthy, but it’s nice to be reminded of what’s inside your food!

My mom and I split the seasonal appetizer special: red quinoa with roasted beets and butternut squash.

I only had a couple bites because my entrée was huge!  I ordered the shrimp salad with avocado, mango, and salsa.   It was mighty fine… I ate every scrap.

We were full, but not too full for dessert   We set off in search of frozen yogurt, and bumped into Ada on the way! To celebrate her 19th birthday, she’d just gone on a 13 mile run!
Ada had also just come from The Lite Choice, and told us the flavors were worth the trip.   I got a small cup with Oreos ‘N Cream and Espresso Truffle.

After our treat, I left my mom and went across town for physical therapy.  I have another appointment tomorrow to see how my therapist thinks I’m doing after my fifteen minutes on the treadmill… I’m very optimistic! In the past month, I have been to four different branches of my gym.  The one I went to yesterday was by far the biggest, but it was also the most confusing! I literally got lost in the locker room. Twice.  What do you like most about your gym?

When I got home Ari had some errands to run so I tagged along.  I brought an apple with cinnamon for the ride, and for the second time in a row, Ari ate half of it! I think I’m rubbing off on him

Since The Upwelling is going to be on the road for the next month, Ari and I decided to go out to dinner to spend a little time together to get away the craziness of packing.  He had a few things to do before we could go, and my stomach couldn’t wait.  I ripped into Josh’s bag of barbecue-flavored pretzel thins… I’m not a huge fan of bbq-flavored chips, but I could have eaten the whole bag.  I don’t know what it is about flat pretzels, but they really get me going!

Ari was craving chicken parm so we went to the diner for dinner.   Now, while I love going there for eggs, something feels a little off about eating there for a meal other than breakfast.  It turns into a more upscale restaurant, but I’m just not a fan of their post-brunch fare.  We still had a very nice time.

All dinner entrées come with soup or salad, and I went with salad.  Hello, onions! (Sorry, boyfriend.)

Nibble at the dinner roll… starting to feel those pretzels!

For my main, I ordered the pecan-crusted ahi tuna in a balsamic-fig reduction with Mediterranean orzo and cherry tomatoes.   It was good, but very filling.  Orzo is such a confusing (but delicious!) grain… it looks just like rice but I always forget it’s actually pasta! I also forget how much I like it.  I’m going to see if I can find a whole wheat variety at the grocery store.

I ate about 2/3 of this and boxed the rest up.

For dessert I had a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s Everything But The… ice cream with a warmed up Edgie brownie.  No one will ever accuse me of not knowing how to indulge!

Now that Ari’s gone for a little while, I’m going to be cooking a lot more and eating out a lot less.  We like to eat home-cooked meals when he’s home, too, but we’re on such different schedules that it’s often hard to coordinate dinner.  It’s a goal of mine to cook more frequently when we’re both around… I’m pretty sure that any dish with mushrooms in it is a safe bet

Hope you had a fabulous day. Bonne nuit

Good afternoon!  I hope your day is off to a great start… I woke up thinking it was Saturday!  I slept in this morning, which was glorious.  Not too much on the agenda for today, which [...]]]> I asked Ari what this post should be titled, and this is what he deemed to be appropriate.

Good afternoon!  I hope your day is off to a great start… I woke up thinking it was Saturday!  I slept in this morning, which was glorious.  Not too much on the agenda for today, which is A-OK with me

Yesterday was slated to be a long run day, so I woke up, guzzled some coffee, and fueled up with half a Dulce de Leche Luna Bar.

I stuffed some gummies into the little pocket of my shorts (which left me a tad sticky)…

I finally made a new playlist… the No Doubt song has been in my head for the better part of this week.

The run was fine… again, I just felt sleepy.  I think, for me, running distances is going to end up being more of a psychological challenge.  Obviously the physical aspects are also great, and every time I go out for a run I hope so hard that it won’t be the day that something goes wrong again.   The only thing that went “wrong” today was that my heart rate monitor didn’t register my actual heart rate…

Total distance: 6.4 miles

Total time: 1:07:55

I’m not sure if I should be concerned that I haven’t been increasing my speed for these long runs… and it’ll probably be time for me to increase my distance again soon, too.   I just signed up for my first 10K a couple minutes ago- it’s next WEEK- so I’m going to have to start working on this!

My “training schedule” is a little weak, since I only have 8 days, but here’s what it looks like, which I made on the Runner’s World website:

When I got back from my run, I made another excellent fall smoothie: Cherry Pumpkin Pie.

I made this using frozen cherries, canned pumpkin pie mix, homemade almond milk, cinnamon and nutmeg, and topped it with a little GoLean & granola.  After breakfast and a bunch of puttering around, I packed up my portable lunch.  I wanted to use up all the leftovers, which, combined, made for an… interesting salad:

The bottom layer was covered with sprouts, topped with corn & edamame salad and beets; the small compartment had leftover fish and a few noodles.  Some things, shall we say, do not taste great the morning after.

On the subway, I snacked on some TJ’s dried fruit. Balls to the wall, as my lady would say.

My dad had told me about a DMV that expedites all of their services, so luckily I was in and out (with a new picture!) in 20 minutes.  Must be some kind of record.  It was starting to rain, so I went into Starbucks and bought a Tall Skim Chai so that I could eat my lunch without getting drenched.

After taking a few minutes to read and decompress, I skedaddled along to an informational interview, then picked up a few books.  The first was a beautiful collection of poems by my friend and former professor, Kristin Naca.

The second was A Race Like No Other, to motivate and inspire.

Then, in the spirit of racing, I rushed home to see my traveling musician, who has spent the last three weeks on his own kind of race, driving back and forth across the country with Blink 182 and the All American Rejects.

We grabbed some friends and went for dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant.  I was still pretty full from lunch, so I only ate a little of my Massaman Curry with shrimp (with unpictured rice) and took the rest home.

A little while after we got home, however, I was hungry again, and dug right back into the take-out container   Ari and I went separate ways for dessert; I had a Double Chocolate Dream Vitamuffin with frozen cherries, Greek yogurt, and homemade almond milk.

Ari had Saltines with Nutella & peanut butter.

Nutella is made with skim milk, hazelnuts (healthy fat), and chocolate (antioxidants), so it’s practically a health food!

We had a little Domaine Lalande Pinot Noir (a gift from Howard on my last day of work), and watched Grey Gardens, which Caitlin had recommended.

It was a great night… I’m so happy he’s back!

I’m off to go cross-train, as my training schedule recommends.  What are your plans for the weekend? Enjoy it!

Yesterday I dug into my [...]]]> This morning I woke up with the line “Couscous is a traditional North African dish…” running through my head.  I guess I’ll be making some of that soon!  I don’t always remember my dreams, but when I do, they’re usually pretty vivid.  What dreams have you had recently?

Yesterday I dug into my stash of Vitamuffins and pulled out a new flavor: Double Chocolate Dream.

Look at those bubbling chocolate chips!

I crumbled the muffin and topped it with Greek yogurt, 1/2 banana, and a fresh batch of almond milk.  It hit the spot.

A little later, I snacked on an apple:

Yesterday was one of those days when I really needed that extra push to get me moving. I had some reading to do but was starting to get a little stir-crazy and needed to get out of the house.  There was a 1:30 yoga class I was thinking of going to, but I made every excuse not to go:  I’d have to take a 30-minute subway ride each way, which takes away from my reading time.  I’d have to pack my lunch, but would it be too cold to eat it outside? And once I was in the city, I might as well stay there for a little and get some work done, but where would I go? Every excuse in the book.  Lucky for me, Sarah and Will were on gChat, and kicked my booty into shape.

Sometimes a little nudge is all it takes.  I loaded up on 1/2 banana with almond butter before I left:

The Vinyasa was good; I’m glad I went, but there was a moment when I looked around and all of the other students were getting into a certain pose, and I had no idea how to do it.  I could have just asked the instructor for some help, but I was too frustrated with myself and just sat on my mat instead.  I’ll work on getting my pride in check for next week’s class.

After class, I brought my lunch and ate it in the park (it was not too cold).  My dad had found this amazing sprout salad (which I snatched up as soon as he showed me):

This whole box- almost 1 lb of pure sprout- was less than $3!

I piled sprouts, carrots, corn, beets, tomatoes, dulse and nooch into one side of my container; 3-layer hummus went into the other.

It was a salad of girth!

I also brought a package of Kay’s Naturals Golden Butter Twists Gluten-free/High Protein Pretzels.

I loved these pretzels! They’re crunchy, perfectly salted, and were perfect dipped in hummus.

After finishing up, I headed over to Everyman Espressso, ordered a skim cappuccino, and worked diligently for three hours.

After I read 100 pages, I enjoyed a Godiva Pumpkin Truffle that my mom got me.  These seasonal truffles hold a special place in our family tradition; we get them every year, and after the first bite, you know Fall really has begun.  How do you reward yourself to stay motivated and power through work?

When I got home, I wanted something quick and easy for dinner.  I toasted up an Ezekiel English muffin with asiago cheese, and had a bowl of lentil soup.  (I’m not going to lie, I am so tired of this soup! I’m sure you are, too. Only one serving left, I promise!)

Dessert was mighty fine, and complemented Gossip Girl quite nicely: Vanilla Coconut ice cream with frozen berries, cherries and almond milk.

Around the blogs: Remember this beautiful little princess? Well, she started her very own blog! Check it OUT.

This photo was taken in Giverny, France in Spring 2008.

Enter Erin‘s puffy necklace giveaway!

I’m off to read.  Bonne journée!

Yesterday I felt like something different so I made a bowl of cereal for breakfast.  I had Puffins, GoLean, and a banana with [...]]]> Good morning and happy Tuesday! How are you today? Did you sleep well?  I got home around 12:30 last night and collapsed into bed, snuggled up against the (clean) laundry. Whoops!

Yesterday I felt like something different so I made a bowl of cereal for breakfast.  I had Puffins, GoLean, and a banana with skim.

I worked all morning, and snacked on frozen berries and bee pollen.

By the time I finished my reading it was, as I’d suspected, to late to go to yoga.  I decided to go for  a run instead, which was a big mistake. From Step 1, my body felt heavy, my legs clunky.  My stomach started to growl, and new stitches kept popping up all over my  front.  My shoulders hurt.  My body just did not want to run. I should have listened to it and turned back immediately, but I didn’t want to “fail” so I kept pushing through.  I stopped a couple times: first for traffic, then to fix my headband, then to fix a stitch.  You get the picture.  It was not a good run. Finally, I got so frustrated and annoyed that I just turned off my watch and walked the rest of the way home… I was already only two blocks away from home (on the way back), so I ended up running 4 out of the 4.4 miles I’d set out to do.  Oh well.  Moral of the story?  Just as not all meals can be great, neither can all runs.  It doesn’t mean I’m a failure, or not a “real” runner, or anything else that sounds completely catastrophic. It just worries me because it’s about time to start increasing my mileage; I’m still planning to do that on Thursday.  We’ll see.

I came home famished.  I rooted around in the fridge, and found half a jalepeño.

I chopped it up and added it to my Sunday leftovers, and topped it all with asiago cheese.  It was a huge meal, but I wanted something big to get me through my wait shift.

On my way out the door, I grabbed some grapes and ate them on the subway.

I snacked on Organic Wheat Grass (Amazing Grass) and a Chery Cashew PURE bar at work (I didn’t eat the apple).

I really like this PURE flavor… I reviewed it once before and I think I liked it even better this time.  Nom.

Work was fine… we got a little busy and we were two instead of three on the floor, so we made a little more money.  Dinner, however, is what made the night worth it.  There was a mistake in the kitchen, so there was a piece of lightly grilled salmon under my salad!  The rest of the salad was mixed greens, beets, tomato, a sliver of avocado, and walnuts. It was so good.  I really don’t think I could have made a better meal at home… this was just what I wanted.

I’d planned on having dessert when I got home, but I was too tired.  Instead, I slathered up my legs with Bengay and got into bed.  Um, not the best idea.  I love how Bengay feels, but that icy hot goodness kept me awake! Whoops.

Off to my internship.  Have a great day!

Yesterday flew by in a blur… I’m glad I document my moments with photos, or I’d never remember [...]]]> Good evening and happy Labor Day weekend! Please excuse the delayed post… I overslept a wee bit this morning and my whole day has been thrown out of whack! No matter… change is good

Yesterday flew by in a blur… I’m glad I document my moments with photos, or I’d never remember what happened from day-to-day! For breakfast, I had a giant fruit bowl with 1/2 mango, 1 peach, raw almond milk and a sprinkle of GoLean! Crunch.  Heaven!

I love this breakfast because while it’s filling, it doesn’t leave me with that belly-busting-bloaded feeling.  It was substantial enough to power me through a 4.5 mile run… yep, you read that right! I took the same route as last time,  ran easily but didn’t stop, and listened to some of Beck’s covers of the Velvet Underground & Nico which my friend passed along to me.  I still can’t believe I can run long enough to listen to an album in its entirety… I am woman, hear me ROAR! But, again, I’m trying to be extra-careful with my legs this time around, and I don’t want to do too much too soon.  Learned that the hard way.

Total time: 45 minutes

Total distance: 4.5 miles

When I got back, I entered my data into my new training log.  I’m keeping track of sleep, miles (run), cross-training, strength training, yoga, ab work, and stretching.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to figure out what’s right for me this way.  I’m factoring in things like sleep and stretching to document how they affect my progress, and to make sure I don’t overstrain my body.

Sweaty beast that I was, I chugged the last of the carrot juice.

Lunch was a massive salad that filled up an entire 9-inch Pyrex bowl.

In the mix:

• 1 heart of romaine
• 2 chopped beets
• sprouts
• Ginger Tofu Peanut Salad
• Annie’s Light Gingerly Dressing

While I was getting ready for work, I munched on an apple and dreamt about France…  I need to go back as soon as possible.

I brought a baggie of dried fruit to work… and so did my friend Alexandra! Great minds think alike.  Many of the staff at the restaurant are Muslim and observing Ramadan, so at 7:30, after having fasted all day, they break to feast.  On their dessert plate are all kinds of fantastic sweet treats, including… walnut-stuffed dates! Who knew?! Siyab let me eat one.  I’m pretty sure I’m going to turn into a date-head one of these days

I also drank a packet of Greens Plus Original Superfood.  I mixed it with seltzer, and again drank half and re-filled the rest with club soda.  It has a very strong taste, but I like it… I just need a bigger glass!

Work was fine… not too much drama, which is always cause for celebration.  An exciting coincidence also happened last night… a few weeks ago, when Liz and I went to Bonobo’s, the owner and I were sure that we recognized each other from somewhere.  Well, turns out he and his girlfriend are regulars at the restaurant! I’ve waited on them oodles of times, but I guess we just didn’t recognize each other out of context.  I’m glad he reminded me! I explained my nori-wrapping woes (although I think I’m getting a little better), and he offered to give me some pointers the next time I go in there.  Small world!

Dinner was FABULOUS.  Ramon is on vacation for the next month, so Gregorio took his place.  I think he was trying to outdo Ramon, and made me a salad with mixed greens, apples, beets, avocado, walnuts, and GRILLED SHRIMP.  Mario also gave me a hefty slice of Bufala… I really couldn’t have requested a better meal.

Ari was in the neighborhood when I got off work, so we met up for some fro-yo. I loaded my cup with nonfat cheesecake, tart, and green tea tart; I topped it all with strawberries, blueberries, a blackberry, mochi, and coconut.

We went home and I, unfortunately, subjected Ari to a pretty horrible movie that left us both feeling weird, even though we turned it off after it was half over. Blegh.  Better luck next time!

We are hopefully taking a day-trip tomorrow; we need to go somewhere we can get to by bus or by train.  I really hope it works out! We could both use a little fresh air.  What are your plans for the long-weekend?

How is your Thursday going so far? Mine is going pretty well, and I am determined to stay positive throughout the day.  Yesterday, however, was all over the place, but the morning started perfectly with a freshly made batch of Gena’s raw almond milk.  [...]]]> Because life is short.  More on that later

How is your Thursday going so far? Mine is going pretty well, and I am determined to stay positive throughout the day.  Yesterday, however, was all over the place, but the morning started perfectly with a freshly made batch of Gena’s raw almond milk.  Second time in one week! I’m definitely addicted.  We don’t have anything that looks even remotely like a strainer here, so I just left it chunky. It’s a lot more rich, but it’s even more delicious! I think I added a little more agave than last time, and it tastes like a creamy dessert.

The rapidly changing weather has given me the sniffles, so I wanted a comforting bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.  But wait! This wasn’t just any bowl of oats.

I cooked equal parts oats and raw almond milk (1/2 cup each), and added a splash of water.   I topped the mixture with 1 banana, warmed frozen berries, and a small scoop of almond butter for good measure.  It was definitely a decadent breakfast, but it powered me through the morning and into my hour-long yoga practice.

Yoga was excellent. I took a 60-minute Vinyasa Flow class, and although I felt the burn of my run in my legs (and quads, in particular), it was just what I needed.  My instructor began the class by asking us to leave behind anything that we’d already done that morning, and ignore thoughts about what we had to do later in the day.  Stay in the moment, and allow ourselves to reap the benefits of our practice without invasion from the outside world.  I need to remember these words.  My mind is always whirling around, thinking about what I have to do or what I could have done better, and I never really let myself relax and accept things as they come.  Hopefully, weekly yoga and meditation will help me work on this.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t hang on to that calm yogic feeling long enough.  When I got to my locker, I discovered that I had forgotten my work skirt.  My alternate pair of pants, which I keep at the restaurant, had been stolen. So, I would either have to get home, pick up my skirt, and get back to work in under two hours; or I would have to go buy a pair of pants.  New pants are not, unfortunately, in my budget right now.   The gym showers’ hot water wasn’t working, so mine was C-O-L-D. Stay positive.

Ari was in the neighborhood, so I decided to just eat my lunch on-the-go and buy a new pair of pants.  I’d made another mack-daddy sandwich:

• Ezekiel bread
• Mustard
• Hummus
• Ginger Peanut Tofu Salad
• Sprouts
• Arugula
• Beets
• Dulse

I’d packed it with two apples; I ate one before yoga and one as “dessert”.

Even when eaten in a rush, while walking down the street, this was awesome.  I’m done with flimsy sandwiches!

As soon as I got to work, I had an Orange Greensicle Greens Plus drink.  I got some samples of this at the Summit, but this was my first time trying it.  I shook it up in a cocktail shaker with club soda, and the result was a dark green fizzy drink.  I really wish I’d been able to take a picture of it because it looked just like something out of Frankenstein’s lab!  In terms of taste, it was very sweet and had a distinct “orange creamsicle” flavor, and the “green” taste was not very strong.  I drank about half of it down, refilled it with seltzer, and it was perfect.

I also snacked on a blueberry bar… it was good, but a little too sweet and not as good as my beloved fig bars.  I didn’t want to get sick of the fig, but I’ve learned my lesson and after I finish up this box I’ll be replenishing my stash with the good stuff.

I got out of work just in time to make it to Stogo before they closed.

Ever since Heather visited this vegan treatery, I’ve been dying to go.  I tried to go before work (I didn’t have enough cash), and by the time I got there it was dark outside and the flash didn’t agree with the gelato.  The ice creams come in soy, coconut and hemp bases, so most dietary needs and/or restrictions can be adhered to.

Every single flavor, however, looked heavenly, and I tried four before settling on a cup with half coconut banana, half chocolate hazelnut.  I’d told myself before going in that I wasn’t going to let myself order chocolate hazelnut… whenever it’s on the menu, I order it! But… it looked good.  It was a lot more chocolate-y than I’d expected, but it was delicious.  The coconut banana was amazing as well, and took me right back to the homemade banana ice cream I used to order every summer at our favorite diner in Long Island.

Stogo also sells cupcakes from Babycakes, raw chocolate truffles and bars, and decadent ice cream sauces. I can’t wait to go back! However, it’s very pricey (this cup cost me $6.25) and I think it’ll have to be a very special treat.

I ate my ice cream while walking to meet up with Ari and get a ride home.  In the car, I ate my dinner: mixed greens with apple, beets, tomatoes, walnuts, goat cheese, pesto, and hidden Italian tuna.

Yep, dessert came after dinner.  Sometimes it’s better that way! Live it up and have a great day