MORNING! How are you? I was so happy to wake up to a Saturday (at 10:30, no [...]]]> *For those of you who asked, my houndstooth tights are Betsey Johnson, masked by T.J. Maxx prices.  There’s a new(ish) store on the Upper West Side, and I’ve gotten great deals on stockings and workout clothes there.

MORNING! How are you? I was so happy to wake up to a Saturday (at 10:30, no less!)… this week has been endless.

I was up early yesterday to walk the pup; I was pretty hungry, so my breakfast had a lil’ bit of everything.

• 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill 5 Grain hot cereal, cooked in 2/3 cup water then drained
• 1 banana
• 1 prune
• 1 dried apricot
• 1/2 dried peach
• cottage cheese
• 1 scoop Teddy’s Super Chunky peanut butter
• agave

Before lunch I snacked on the usual suspects…

… and had a feast of leftovers for the main event: Mushroom Wild Rice Soup; steamed kale, roasted tomatoes, broccoli rabe & carrots with tamari peanut dressing; and fresh mango.

Later in the afternoon I had a Cranberry Nut Forze bar. Last one

We had late-night movie plans, so I made a quick dinner: sweet potato with SmartBeat, cinnamon & agave and leftover Chopped Miso Salad.  Amazingly I don’t mind eating this salad three days in a row!

After dinner we piled into the car and drove to Brooklyn to see Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in 3D IMAX.  As we pulled in, we saw a van outside hosting a blood drive, so I went in and gave blood for the first time.  I was a little worried my iron levels wouldn’t be high enough and would disqualify me, but I passed the finger prick test and was able to give!  It took about 10 minutes to do, but the lounge chairs were really comfortable and the nurses on duty were hilarious and a riot to talk to.  In a few weeks I’ll get a card in the mail (and a free movie ticket) telling me my blood type, which I’ve always been curious to know! Do you know your blood type?

I needed to re-stock my sugar supply after the drawing, which justified this (and a couple pretzel bites):

I was worried that I would be lightheaded and fall asleep during the movie (which I’m known to do on normal days) but I stayed awake and really enjoyed it!  I was excited to recognize Alice as the actress who plays Sophie on In Treatment, an HBO show Ari and I really like.  I won’t give anything away, but as you can expect it’s really beautiful to watch- and I don’t just mean Johnny Depp .   I did feel a little woozy when it was over, but as soon as we got home I hopped into bed and slept for 9.5 glorious hours.  I love the weekend.

Click here to find the winners of the Maranatha Giveaway!

Have a great day

This morning I took a break from oatmeal and made Sarah’s pumpkin cakes.  Instead of adding sweetener and spices, I used a scoop of pumpkin butter!

I [...]]]> Evening! Hope you had a slam-dunk kind of day.  Mine was long and full, and I am more than ready to curl up and relax for the night!

This morning I took a break from oatmeal and made Sarah’s pumpkin cakes.  Instead of adding sweetener and spices, I used a scoop of pumpkin butter!

I topped the “cake” with a generous portion of plain Chobani and a scoop each of lemon curd and flaxy peanut butter.  Delicious combination! Just like Lemon Meringue Pumpkin Pie.

The subways were running smoothly and I got off the train with enough time to stop by my mom’s hair salon to say hello.  It was a nice way to start the day!

I worked all through the morning, breaking only to unwrap my Raisin Spice Heart Thrive cake.

I decided to take my lunch at my desk and catch up on some emails.  While it’s cold outside, I have a feeling I’ll do this a lot!

I had leftover tofu nabe and rice and a cup of Stonyfield Chocolate Underground yogurt.  Saved the apple for my afternoon snack  Last night, I put a handful of frozen shrimp into a Ziplock bag and refrigerated it.  By the time lunchtime rolled around, it was ready to eat!

It made a great addition to my soup!

Remember my new trick of drinking coffee in the early afternoon?  Well, today we were out of cups!  I’d brought my coffee to work this morning as well, but couldn’t get the top of the thermos off.  So, this girl was running on ZERO caffeine!  Not ideal.

I had to stop by HR today, and while there took a Mary-Jane to spike my energy.  (That egg-shaped thing is my new Eos chapstick… isn’t it cute? It moisturizes pretty well, too!)

There was a minor crisis as I was getting ready to leave the office, but we solved it and left by 5:30.  It was a rare night when Ari was free for dinner, so we went out for Thai.  We shared an order shrimp spring rolls as an appetizer… I don’t usually like fried spring rolls, but these were actually pretty good.

For my entrée, I ordered the “Healthy Ginger”: vegetables and shrimp sautéed in a fresh ginger sauce.  I half with brown rice, and packed up the rest to take home.  This was my third time having shrimp in one day!  Wonder if I could get a job at Bubba Gump?

Ari was happy with his dinner, too… he usually gets Pad See Ew.

I had a dessert plate (dried prunes, figs, almond butter and chocolate) while Ari did a little more work.  I missed these. They always hit the spot!

Off to bed!  There is a teensy chance I’ll get up and run in the morning, but it’s pretty unlikely.  I can’t wait until I’m a little more settled into work and can figure out how I’m going to manage my exercise routine… I need those endorphins!  Any tips?

Have a great night

Speaking of childhood, I got a fun e-mail from my friend Jenny at 8 this [...]]]> As of 3 minutes ago, it’s officially Thanksgiving! I’m cozy at home in my bed, surrounded by my stuffed animals, Polaroids from high school, and hundreds of books, among other things. What was your childhood bedroom like?

Speaking of childhood, I got a fun e-mail from my friend Jenny at 8 this morning while I was sipping on my coffee. Jenny is hands-down my oldest friend; our mothers grew up together, and although Jenny and I have been separate by half a country for our entire lives and only get to see each other once a year, we’ve always been close. When my grandfather was still living, my parents and I visited him in Indianapolis every winter between Christmas and New Year’s; this photo is from the winter of 1988. (That’s me on the right, with the bowl cut.)

Here we are this past summer, in Lake Michigan.

I miss her so much during the year. We look forward to our week on the lake so much!

After my trip down memory lane, I made a quick breakfast: Ezekiel English muffin with almond butter and a banana, raspberry jam on one side and pumpkin butter on the other.

I went to the post office to mail something; it didn’t open until 10 (which seems a little later) but there was a machine that got the job done. Then to physical therapy I went! It as a particularly good appointment. I learned some new exercises to stretch my hips; I can easily do them from the hotel room in Russia. After PT I raced back home to eat lunch before I had to turn right back around and go to an interview. I made a quick salad:

In the mix:

• romaine
• celery
• tofu
• leftover roasted veggiesM

It was one of the rare occasions where I could not finish my meal. Usually, once I’ve dished a certain amount of food out, I will eat every last scrap even if I’ve long since reached capacity. (Last night’s pasta plate was an example of this.) However, today I started getting a stomachache about partway through, and just picked out what I wanted (roast vegetables, tofu, hummus), leaving a fair amount of spinach.

I felt guilty about throwing the rest out (I won’t be back at the house for two weeks), but it was better than making myself sick. As it was, my tum hurt for the next two hours. My eyes are bigger than my head sometimes, and I think the most important thing I need to remember to do is slow down while I’m eating. I’ve been so rushed these past few weeks that although I’ve been eating foods I love, I’ve barely tasted them as I’ve had to practically inhale them to get from appointment to appointment on time. It’ll be nice to have a little break

There’s always room for sweets, though! I had a couple of these strawberry gummy candies from the Japanese grocery store in our neighborhood. Not bad!

I was starving after my interview. Luckily I had about four different snacks in my bag, so I ate one of the apple-flavored Heart Thrive bars that I was sent to review. I’ll do a formal review once I’ve sampled all of the products, but I liked this a lot!

When I got home I folded laundry and did some preparatory packing for my trip to Russia. I am one of the worst packers ever. I always take too much and forget crucial items, like spare contact lenses or pajama pants. Do you have any fool-proof (or LVP proof!) packing tips?

I snacked on some Concord grapes that were about to go bad while I waited for my dad to help me pack some things up. These grapes are really addicting. There are seeds, which I thought I wouldn’t like, but are actually kind of fun to work through and take longer to eat. Plus, these are the kind of grapes used to make grape juice, so they’re the perfect combination of sweet + tart.

While my dad was at a holiday party, my mom and I had dinner at watched Hannah And Her Sisters. Not only is this a really good Woody Allen film, but it’s told between two years’ worth of Thanksgivings! I ordered a bento box for dinner, which came with a spicy tuna roll, tempura, sashimi & shrimp shumai. (It came with rice, salad & miso soup as well, but I’m saving those for tomorrow.)

I also had a glass of Black Box Wine’s Sauvignon Blanc.

My mom brought home dessert from Billy’s Bakery, the same shop she ordered my birthday cupcakes from.

She bought one pumpkin cupcake and one pumpkin bar; we split them three ways. De-lish.

I’m off to bed. There’s a lot on the agenda tomorrow! Have a great night, a happy holiday, and safe travels wherever your day takes you.

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!

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!

When my alarm went off at 8, my mind was filled with that excited dread that often comes with the first day of school and first dates.  Since my day is already jam-packed today, [...]]]> I’ve always thought that the day I ran 6 miles would be the day I finally became a “real” runner.

When my alarm went off at 8, my mind was filled with that excited dread that often comes with the first day of school and first dates.  Since my day is already jam-packed today, I’d written out a list of everything I would do, from waking up to going to work, with corresponding times.  This type of thing doesn’t usually work for me, but I really wasn’t even able to include a margin of error.

Still, I puttered around, wasting time… I checked on the laundry (three times), I did the dishes, I checked the weather (chance of rain)… I was nervous, and I wanted to prolong the run for as long as possible.  But, I was also excited, and had a good feeling.  I knew I could do it!

I quickly put together a no-fail playlist.  These are all songs I’ve run to over and over again, and I know they keep my legs running.

Before I left, I had half a cup of coffee, half a Luna Bar, and a lot of water.

I debated whether or not to run with a water bottle, but I didn’t want the extra awkward weight to sabotage my run. Instead I kept running back to the kitchen for more water, just to be safe.  I should probably invest in a CamelBak sometime soon…

This was my first time running with snacks.I stuffed my baggie of gummies (who needs Shot Bloks?) into the waistband of my running pants.  I’m sure there was a better option… I tried to put it in the side of my sports bra, as I’ve heard other runners do, but it was really uncomfortable.    Where do you stash your mid-exercise snacks?

Finally I set off, with a not-so-brave face.

I’d promised myself I was going to run at a slow, easy pace… it was more important for me to log miles than go for speed. I’m not racing against anyone! To achieve the 6 mile run, I’d planned on fusing together my go to 4.5 mile and 2.0 mile runs.  It started to rain as I passed the 2-mile point, but I powered through it.  At almost the same time as the first raindrop hit my face, I got a stitch in my right side… the same spot I’ve been getting them for the past week or so. I tried some breathing techniques, but mostly just told myself to ignore it… and it worked!

After I finished my 4.5 mile loop, I stopped and ate half of my gummies.  Then I picked the pace right back up again.  I felt as though my legs were carrying me through, and the only thing I had to do was stay awake for it.  I expected to be sore, but I didn’t think that I’d be so mentally tired! But I powered on.  I stopped and ate the last of the gummies during the final mile.

I got home, stretched and calculated my total distance: 6.4 miles!!!

Total distance: 6.4 miles

Total time: 1:10:27

Maximum heart rate: 177 (89%)

Average heart rate: 166 (83%)

Calories burned: 739

For a few minutes, I felt a little nauseous and not very hungry.  I couldn’t decide what I wanted for breakfast, and puttered around for a little.  Then all of a sudden… WHAMO! I made the quickest bowl of oatmeal you’ve ever seen, just so I wouldn’t eat my own arm.

This was made with:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup water
• splash of skim milk
• cinnamon
• 1 banana
• brown sugar
• scoop of peanut butter

After showering, I slathered on a generous helping of Bengay and promptly burned the bejeezus out of my glutes.  I also got so cold that I had to pile on Ari’s sweats (shh!) and climb under the covers.  I guess “everything in moderation” doesn’t only apply to food…

I took a bottle of POMx Pomegrante Wildberry Light White Tea to keep me hydrated on my subway ride across the boroughs.

FYI: I will be posting a POMx review once I’ve tasted all of the flavors.

I needed to pick some things up chez maman et papa, so I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up lunch to eat at home.  It was, sadly, my quickest in-and-out trip to the store.

When I got home, there were two exciting packages waiting for me! First… my RoadID came! I wish I could show it to you, but my Photoshop program isn’t working and I can’t edit out my personal information.  It’s very cool, though!

I also received the Kay’s Naturals package I won from Jenny‘s giveaway.

With lunch, I snacked on some Crispy Parmesan Protein Chips.

They look like baby Sun Chips!

And, unlike other brands, this one was filled with chips! Don’t you hate when you buy something and realize you’ve paid for mostly air? They were pretty good… they had the consistency of Soy Crisps.

My Whole Foods lunch was filled with greens, Israeli salad, grape leaves, vegan chicken salad (LOVE THIS), lemon tempeh, glazed tofu, crunch sprout salad, and a farro/wheatberry pilaf.

While I was home, Charley and I played dress-up…

He’s joined the ranks and is now an Upwelling Dog.

I was still snacky, so I ate a raisin walnut roll on the subway on the way to work.

Business at the restaurant was non-existent, so I went home at 7. Wahoo!  I took a salad to go, but decided to save that for lunch the next day and stopped instead at the Japanese mart on my walk to the subway.  I’ve always been curious about these seasoned “wildweeds”:

Unfortunately, I really didn’t care for them at all.  Something about the taste, and the brown weeds (which reminded me of Distric 9… sorry for that gross tidbit!) really turned my stomach and I only ate half.  This looks deceptively small… but as the above photo shows, it weighed 18 ounces!

The brown rice tuna and avocado sushi, however, was just right.  I should have just gotten more sushi!

The weeds left a taste in my mouth that wouldn’t go away, so I had a glass of Pinot Grigio to usher it out.

I hadn’t had a dessert plate in a while, so I helped myself to dried fruit, Israeli pop-rocks chocolate, and almond butter.  MMM!

Yesterday I used up the last of my walnut almond milk and added frozen berries, grapes, and Puffins.  Filling and delicious!

Yesterday was R-A-I-N-Y! It was [...]]]> Good evening! I hope you are thoroughly enjoying your Saturdays.  The day completely got away from me today, so this is going to be a bigger post than usual.

Yesterday I used up the last of my walnut almond milk and added frozen berries, grapes, and Puffins.  Filling and delicious!

Yesterday was R-A-I-N-Y! It was also very windy, so whatever umbrella you may have brought with you (which I did not…) was basically functionless.  I dodged the drops and met Caitlin for lunch in Union Square.  We’d planned on venturing out to someplace a little farther out of our comfort zone than Whole Foods, but it was so miserable outside that we just decided to eat at the hot bar.

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with samples of Sweet Leaf iced tea.  I’d never tried this before, but I loved both the taste and their cute Grandma-themed packaging!

I loaded my salad box…

It included:

• mixed greens
• steamed kale
• roasted sweet potato
• vegan “chicken” salad
• baked tofu
• wasabi salmon salad
• Shanghai dumpling
• corn

We also were given samples of mini cupcakes for filling out a mapping survey.  Great day for free treats!

We stayed inside for quite some time, taking shelter from the storm.  I sipped on a nonfat cafe au lait with a shot of espresso to warm up:

When the rain started to let up, we ventured over to Barnes & Noble to do a little research.  On our way out, we popped into the music department and spotted The Upwelling‘s An American Stranger on display!

Caitlin snatched up the last copy, and we promptly demanded they order more.

Then I made my way home to take care of my pup’dog.

I immediately raided the fridge, and found these baby green plums.

I had a little snack of yogurt, one pear, and one green plum.

When I went through the mail, I found a package from Sarah.

She’d sweetly sent me the cup that I demanded to use every time I went to her apartment in Minnesota… it made me so happy! I hope you’re drinking plenty of tea in Russia, Sarah.

I spent the rest of the evening going through my closet and getting rid of old clothes.  I had a glass of Black Box Wines‘s Sauvignon Blanc to help me out…

I really liked this. Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorite wines, and this was pretty good.  If I hadn’t poured it myself, I wouldn’t have known this wine came out of a box! Much better than the Franzia & Carlo Rossi more economical beverages of my college days.

I’d planned on cooking, but the weather was just too nasty and I wanted to stay inside and be cozy.  Instead, I ordered a bento box with shrimp shumai, sashimi, and a spicy tuna roll.

It also came with a small salad with carrot-miso dressing…

… and a hot cup of miso soup.

I was very full! But of course, when Ari called and asked me to meet him for Tasti D, I couldn’t turn him down   I got a small cup of oreo cookie peanut butter with Reese’s pieces.

Ari had to leave very early this morning to get ready for their tour, and although I had every intention of getting up with him at 8, I slept in until 11. Whoops! When I did get myself out of bed, I had a quick yogurt bowl with an apple and green plum.

I met my little red-headed friend for lunch; we went to the Manhattan Diner for California Veggie Burgers (avocado, Swiss cheese, sprouts & salsa).

The first time this came out of the kitchen, it was literally frozen cold.  The second time, it was burned to a crisp… I ate it anyway, with half of the bun.

After Ilana and I met up to pick up our race numbers  and T-shirts for tomorrow, I went to Citarella to get groceries.  Somehow I happened upon a cupcake sample station…

These homemade cupcakes are made with sour cream and buttermilk.  This was one of the richest, juiciest bites of cake I’ve had.  So good! I may just have to pick some up soon.

When I got home, unloaded my groceries and soothed my aching & blistery feet (trying out new boots the day before a race might not have been the best idea), I snacked on an apple.

Ilana came over and I made a cozy and comforting dinner for us.  We started with a mixed green salad with leftover carrot-miso dressing.

The star of the meal was Bon Appétit‘s Multi-Grain Penne with Hazelnut Pesto, Green Beans, and Parmesan.

I added a little more lemon juice than the recipe called for for a little extra zing, and I think it worked.

We dined in bed like queens, and enjoyed a glass of Black Box Sauvignon Blanc.

Ilana’s review: It’s not sweet. Very refreshing, but that might just be ’cause it’s cold.  Not my favorite, but not bad.  Would I buy it? I think so.  It’s growing on me.

We’re still in bed, watching The Devil Wears Prada.  The race starts at 9:20 tomorrow, so we have to get to bed early!  I’ve been mulling over this dilemma all day: I don’t have an armband for my iPod (it’s such an old model that they don’t make them for it), but I also want to run with my camera.  The ultimate question: to double-fist or not to double-fist? Is it a terrible idea to run with both hands full? I need your help!

Many thanks to Erin, who awarded me this award.  Thanks, Erin!

I’m very, very behind on your blogs, but I will catch up as soon as possible.  Love you mucho and have a great rest of the weekend!

Good morning, everyone! Ready for Tuesday? I pressed snooze one too many times this morning, so I’m a little less prepared than I would have liked, but you can’t win ‘em all.

Yesterday, first thing in the morning, I popped a square of Amadei’s 70% [...]]]> For some reason this post didn’t go through this morning…

Good morning, everyone! Ready for Tuesday? I pressed snooze one too many times this morning, so I’m a little less prepared than I would have liked, but you can’t win ‘em all.

Yesterday, first thing in the morning, I popped a square of Amadei’s 70% Toscano Black chocolate.

This is apparently the way chocolate “should” be eaten, and I agree… having chocolate in the morning made me feel like a queen!

In terms of real “breakfast” food, I decided to break into my new stash of Amazing Grass. From the reviews I’ve read by other bloggers, the Grass can be a bit… strong, on its own, upon first taste.  I decided to play it safe and blended the Berry Green Superfood flavor with water and a banana.

Upon first taste, it was a little thin, so I added a scoop of chunky peanut butter.

It was perfect! I took my green smoothie outside, to enjoy it in its natural habitat

After breakfast, I hit the books for a few hours before work.  In the middle of my reading, I shared an apple with my interim boyfriend, Monster.

When I work, I try to keep myself on track and away from distractions the same way I do when I run. “In fifty pages I can have a snack…. When I get to the next chapter I can check my email….” (“In two minutes I can walk for thirty seconds…”)  When I could stand my hunger no longer, I broke for lunch.

I’ve had this package of Fantastic World Foods Spicy Thai Vegetarian Soup for-EVAH.  I bought it when I was still in school and have seriously carted it all over the place, thinking it would make a good, quick meal.  I even brought it with me to the Summit! (Sounds like a security blanket, hmm?)

I’m not a huge fan of packaged noodle soups, but these noodles are baked, not deep-fried, unlike conventional ramen soups. The nutritional profile is pretty good, too, and the ingredient list is short and comprehensive.

I bulked up the meal, making it LVP-friendly.

I took advantage of my leftover steamed kale and GC-tofu and stirred them into the soup.

Not bad! It did need a little more flavor, however, so I added some miso paste, Bragg’s, and Sriracha. Noodle-slurping good

Dessert was something really special.  I’ve been meaning to make Gena’s Lemon Chiffon pudding for a week, and I thought I deserved to have it on a Monday.  It was so, so good. Who would have thought avocado would make a good dessert? The lady’s a genius.

During work, I had an Amazing Grass Organic Green SuperFood Whole Food Energy Bar.

I reviewed this bar way back when, and still enjoyed it. I liked it more with every bite! I was paranoid that it was getting stuck in my teeth, though, so it took me over an hour to eat so I wouldn’t humiliate myself in front of the customers!

Ramón was in a ridiculously good mood yesterday, and said we could have whatever we wanted to eat! I went with the special salad (mixed greens, a sliver of avocado, apple, tomato, walnuts, and goat cheese), topped with…

GRILLED SHRIMP! I was a happy girl.

I stopped at a new frozen yogurt place, Yogurt Station (one of FOUR fro-yo places on St. Mark’s) and got a huge cup of nonfat peanut butter, chocolate, cake batter, and green tea. I went a little crazy with the toppings and added mango, mochi, Heath bar, and a chocolate-covered pretzel.

All that for $3.73! A gal’s gotta treat herself sometimes.

Have a great day!

Yesterday started out… whimsically.  Ari’s brother, Josh, has [...]]]> Good morning, lovelies! I hope your week is starting to wind down and you have a fabulous weekend planned to celebrate August. As I said, I’m going to a wedding near Salt Lake City, Utah, for the weekend, so I’ll be blogging from the West Coast!

Yesterday started out… whimsically.  Ari’s brother, Josh, has been threatening to disturb Jim‘s face for more than six months, but I was so surprised when I opened the door and saw him and laughed for a good minute.

Poor Jim! I’m sure he kept his sense of humor about it, though .  This cookie had:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 2 T skim milk
• 1 t chunky pb
• toppings: cinnamon, 1 prune (split), dried cherries

Ari had already left for the deli to work by the time I got around to eating breakfast, so I met him there and guzzled down an iced coffee with 1% milk.

I went back home, blogged while watching some great tv, and went out for a quick run.  I went about 2 miles, then came back, showered quickly, and went into the city to meet Liz for lunch.  She’d suggested we go to Bonobo’s Vegetarian, a new place we’d both never tried and thought sounded very interesting.

As soon as we walked in, our eyes feasted on the packaged beverages they had: ginger lemonade, coconut water, coconut chai (a recommendation from Diana).

Their “salad bar”, which was thankfully behind glass, had all kinds of organic veggies and spreads.

The staff at Bonobo’s is very attentive and willing to give out samples of everything.  I tasted six different things!

We both (er, more like I copied) ordered the Nori rolls.

For the rolls, you pick five veggies and a nut meat spread. I chose beets, zucchini, carrots, cucumbers, and sprouts; I couldn’t decide on one spread and went with two: macadamia nut and sesame tahini.

Again, indecisive girl that I am, I couldn’t just pick one dressing so I had them mix up two! The end result was spicy sweet: a combination of their Diablo (spicy mustard) and agave mustard. Delish!

The meal was fabulous, and the company was even better.  Luckily, we both admitted our gracelessness when it comes to consuming messy food, and didn’t try to eat with poise. In other words, sprouts were a-flyin’!

Unfortunately, on the way back to Liz’s hotel, we got caught in a torrential downpour.  This girl has no luck when it comes to weather! The last time she was here, the weather was also terrible.  Her poor tights were soaked, but she still looked fabulous!

After I dropped Liz off at her hotel (and said a very rushed hello to Diana), I dodged more raindrops and went to work.  On my walk, I drank my bottle of Bonobo’s Coconut Chai.

This. Is. Amazing. It’s sweet and really thick, and, as I described to Liz, almost like a rice pudding. She suggested I freeze it and eat it like ice cream… unfortunately I’d already drank it all! I can’t wait to go back and get more of this.

At work, I was so munchy! I think it was because of the weather.  We were very slow, which made it both boring and tiring.  I nibbled on desserts, went into Black Hound for samples, and ate a Toasted Nuts ‘n Cranberry Luna bar (image recycled).

I sold enough specials to get the special saladfor dinner: mixed greens with shrimp, avocado, apples, tomatoes, walnuts, and goat cheese with lemon vinaigrette.  So good!

Ari surprised me by picking me up from work with the car.  We went to 16 Handles to fuel up for the ride (ha), and I loaded my cup with peanut butter, pistachio, and Eurotart yogurts topped with mochi, blueberries, Reese’s cups and a chocolate-covered pretzel.

It was a pretty great day, I’d say.  Now I’m off to go meet Greg for lunch before work, and tomorrow morning I’m off to Utah! Have a great day