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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He also got me a surprise…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just now, as I made my breakfast, I’d almost convinced myself I was in a Parisian flat getting ready for the day with the rest of the rest of the workforce. It’s a crisp [...]]]> For some reason, this post didn’t go up this morning when I pressed “Publish”! Sorry about that, folks

Just now, as I made my breakfast, I’d almost convinced myself I was in a Parisian flat getting ready for the day with the rest of the rest of the workforce. It’s a crisp day out, but the windows are open, letting the fresh air (and an upstairs neighbor’s cigarette smoke) waft in. It’s about 2 there right now… my parents are probably having a simple lunch somewhere, and Ari is getting ready for his show tonight in Manchester. I haven’t really heard from my parents (except a frantic back-and-forth with my dad about physical therapy), but it seems like the Upwelling‘s tour is off to a great start!

Yesterday morning I played a fierce game of “snooze” with the alarm clock. You might be wondering why I even bother setting alarm given that I don’t have a job, but I find that I really need to keep myself on a remotely “normal” schedule so that things get done and I don’t lose my mind.

Breakfast was a little different yesterday.

I cooked 1/3 cup of 5-Grain Cereal in 2/3 cup of water, then microwaved a diced apple with cinnamon and a little brown sugar. (Blew the fuse with this one… the dishwasher and dryer was already running in the kitchen, and the vacuum was in use in another room. Whoops! But a girl’s gotta have her breakfast ) I topped everything with 1/4 banana and a big scoop of peanut butter.

I haven’t had any hot cereal other than oats since I graduated, but I’m going to keep this up. It’s a nice change!

My knee was feeling a little better when I woke up, so I decided to go to the gym and see how using the bike felt. Well… not so great. It hurt to go faster than a snail, but the slow pace was really frustrating. I ended up getting off after 20 minutes, hobbling over to the machines to try arms, getting even more frustrated, and leaving. The combination of an over- crowded locker room and no hot water in the showers led to a minor meltdown… there were a few tears as I stood under the shower head, freezing and wondering if this was the end of my running career. Then I moved on with my life.

My friend Hannah and I met at Whole Foods for lunch, and I loaded my box with some of my favorite comfort foods.

Including but not restricted to:

• Mixed greens
• Steamed broccoli
• Artichokes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Tofu
• 1 Plantain
• Vegan Chicken Salad
• “Detox Salad” made w/ ground cauliflower
• Whole Grain Taboule
• Kale & Cantaloupe salad

I also sneaked in some coconut water

After lunch I went home and made some calls to physical therapists, trying to get an appointment.  No luck!  So, I decided to relax a little and settled into bed with a book, a cup of chai, and an apple with cinnamon.  Very cozy!

This quote would be more appropriate if it ended with “honor your body“, but I can do both.

For some reason I was hungry for dinner a lot earlier than usual, so I ended up getting dinner ready around 6:30.  I diced up an heirloom tomato…

… and mixed it in with the leftover Lemony  Rigatoni w/ Chickpeas & Broccoli, which I topped with parmesan.

I had a few leaves of romaine on the side, as well as a big rebel carrot.

Ilana came over a little later, and after I made her a quick dinner, we had an ice cream party!  Good sleepovers are not complete without them.

I had a bowl with half Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup and half Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean. with a hearty drizzle of hot fudge.

Speaking of ice cream, remember the almond-less Vanilla Swiss Almond? Well, I finally got around to calling Haagen-Dazs, and they were very nice about the mix-up and should have a coupon in the mail.  All’s well that ends well!

I’ll be back a little later with the physical therapist’s diagnosis.  Hope you’re having a great day!

Yesterday I woke up at a normal time, and made a normal bowl of fruity oatmeal.

I [...]]]> Hello there boys and girls, and happy Friday!  How are you today?  I’m just fine, although I knocked myself a little out of whack when I overslept, and my schedule is a little funky! Oh well, no matter.

Yesterday I woke up at a normal time, and made a normal bowl of fruity oatmeal.

I used:

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/2 cup water
• TJ’s Mangolicious blend
• 1 peach
• 1 scoop of peanut butter

After a little computer work, I accompanied the boy to the diner where he enjoyed a nice egg sandwich.  Then I hopped on the train and went to visit my poodle.  When I got there, I was greeted by many goodies!  I found the Zevia sodas (and cute T-shirt) I won from a contest Missy hosted…

A NuNaturals stevia sampler I won from Averie‘s contest…

POM Wonderful‘s new Kiwi and Nectarine flavored pomegranate juice…

A variety of Greek yogurts from Chobani…

And, best of all, gourmet Brownie Points brownies from Liz!

Pretty good mail day, dontcha think?!

I incorporated both new items and tasty leftovers into a fabulous lunch, starting with Daddy-o’s spicy corn chowder…

Gliding Calm tofu with brown rice, mango chutney & peanut sauce…

Low-Fat Pineapple Chobani, which I LOVED (review to follow)…

…. And Ginger Ale Zevia. Full review to come as well, but I did not like this at all.

While I ate, I read some more sad news about the demise of Gourmet magazine.

A little later, snacked on an apple to hold me over on a mid-distance run.

I tried to warm up slowly, run 3 fast miles, and cool down with one more mile.  It was hard to pace myself without knowing for sure how fast I was going.  When I got home, I was pretty pleased with my statistics; seems like I did pace myself pretty well.

Total distance: 4.54 miles

Total time: 43:41

Maximum heart rate: 181 (91%)

Average heart rate: 166 (84%)

Calories burned: 455

I finished up a baggie of baby carrots while packing up and getting ready… these are the perfect quick snack, except when you have bad allergies.  Sneezing while chomping on carrots makes for a HUGE mess.

I hurried back home just in time to have dinner with Ilana. We heated up leftover cassoulet and steamed some broccoli.  Ilana was finally introduced to the hippie juice, and I think she liked it!

After dinner, we dug into Liz‘s brownies while we watched Grey’s Anatomy and Project Runway.

There were a lot of flavors, and I wanted to taste them all…

These were so freaking good.  The hit of the night seemed to be Cookies & Cream… it tasted just like the middle of an Oreo!  I can’t wait to dig into the rest of them.  Holy yum, Liz!

I stayed up kind of late, and ended up eating another giant apple before bed.

Off to go meet some lovelies for dinner! What are you up to this weekend? I have my 10K on Sunday, but that’s about it! Have a great night

We are really running low on fresh supplies (although I have oodles of chocolate!), but I’m going to be [...]]]> Good afternoon, Lovepies! I hope you are having a fantastic day, although by the time you read this it might very well be  nighttime for I am once again on the World’s Slowest Computer (WSC).

We are really running low on fresh supplies (although I have oodles of chocolate!), but I’m going to be out for a few meals in the next few days so I’d rather not buy produce only to have it spoil.  Yesterday I turned to the freezer for inspiration, and heated some of Trader Joe’s Mangolicious blend, which I mixed with a crumbled Apple Berry Vitamuffin and nonfat yogurt.

I’ve been wanting to make a pretty parfait again, but the only clear glass in the house has gone missing.

After I worked around the house for a little, I grabbed an apple and headed into the city for some speedwork at the gym.

I don’t know about other runners out there, but I have a really hard time staying on the treadmill for more than two miles, and even that is a challenge for me.  It’s just so boring!  There was nothing but reality and sports showing on the TVs, and running in place feels a little depressing to me.  I can’t stop myself from staring at the screen as minutes and distances slowly tick by, even if I cover it with a towel. I think I can also run faster when I’m outside; on the treadmill, running less than a 10-minute mile is really a challenge for me.  One more reason that I need a Garmin! Finally, Behind The Music: Pink came on, and I actually kind of really like her, so I watched that and the time passed  a little more quickly.  I ran 4 miles at speeds ranging from 6.0 – 7.5, taking recovery breaks at 4.0, and cooled down for 3 minutes.

Total distance: 4.15 miles

Total time: 42:28 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 192 (97%)

Average heart rate: 176 (89%)

Calories burned: 496

After a very fast shower, I hurried to the subway, eating my Whole Foods meal (which I had wisely bought before working out, to save time) on the way.  I actually wasn’t so excited to eat this… I think I’m beginning to suffer from Food Boredom.

In the mix:

• spinach
• broccoli
• roasted sweet potatoes
• bok choi
• baked tofu
• vegan chicken salad
• seaweed salad
• sweet & spicy dumpling (1)

I almost got a soup to accompany my salad, but I was low on time and wanted to save room for my afternoon treat.  I hopped on the subway, transferred, and made my way to Babycakes to meet Ellie and Leslie.

I’ve dreamed about Babycakes cupcakes and their icing shots for far too long. Even if their pickings were horrible (which is far from the truth, their store is one of the cutest places I’ve seen.  The bake staff have the most adorable little Waitress-style outfits (that I would definitely wear in a non-working environment) And, even better, these treats are actually good for you! Have my prayers been answered yet again?  Here’s what they say about the sweets on their website:

In a city dominated by cupcakes overflowing with sugar, flour and butter cream, it’s easy for those with persnickety diets to feel left out. BabyCakes offers all-natural, organic and delicious alternatives free from the common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein and eggs. Rest assured, all sweeteners have been chosen responsibly and used sparingly. White sugar will never be found in our bakery, nor will we ever use toxic chemical sweeteners. Instead, most products are sweetened with agave nectar—a natural syrup from a cactus which is low on the glycemia index and often a safe alternative to most non-insulin dependant diabetics. Occasionally, unprocessed and unrefined sugar is used in certain goods, although sparingly.

The menu of the day:

It was very hard for me to choose…

As soon as I saw the Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate-Fig Ganache and Cinnamon-Nutmeg frosting, however, I knew what I needed.

Leslie got this as well.  We both thought that the cake itself tasted a bit like sweet cornbread, which wasn’t a bad thing! The filling was amazing, and the frosting was un-freaking-believable.  I need to go back and get a shot of that before they stop making their seasonal flavors.

It was really nice to chat with the girls; I met Leslie in Boston at the Summit, and we really have to get together again soon.  Lucky for me, I’ll be able to see Ellie again on Friday for dinner!  After we parted ways, I headed home.  Ari is leaving on Sunday for Europe, and I wanted us to be able to have a nice dinner together before.  I was mighty thirsty when I got back from the grocery store, and sipped on Goya coconut water while cooking.  This stuff is great… it’s cheap (6/$3.50) and has small chunks of young coconut meat on the bottom!

I also snacked on this silly-looking carrot.

I whipped out my Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean cookbook, which I do not use  nearly enough.  Melissa Clark is one of my present-day culinary heroes.  I wanted to make something with either mushrooms or chickpeas (Ari’s favorites, after steak ), and decided on Garbanzo Cassoulet

The recipe calls for either homemade or store-bought tomato sauce; since the cassoulet was already going to take 2+ hours to make, I picked up a jar of Newman’s Own Sockarooni sauce.

It’s not organic, but the ingredient list is short and comprehensive.

I threw in a couple shakes of Emeril’s Original Essence for good measure…

Instead of using regular breadcrumbs, I used whole wheat panko.

Two hours later, the cassoulet was done.  There is a recipe for “Quick Cassoulet” on the opposite page of the same cookbook, which would be nice if you don’t have time to make this one.  However, if you do have the time, it really pays off.

I served it with some steamed green beans.  We got more than our fair share of veggies!

After a few bites, Ari remarked, “Hey! It’s vegetarian and I love it!” I’m glad it was a hit.  We both went back for seconds, which we enjoyed with some Gato Negro Sauvignon Blanc.

After dinner, we had to run some errands and somehow ended up walking out of Coldstone with huge cups of ice cream.  The photo didn’t turn out, but I got a “Like It” (or “small”, if you are Coldstone-illiterate) with Sinless Sweet Cream ice cream, cookie dough, and hot fudge.  Oof, my tum was not happy about that choice.

Well, I’m off to get some reading done.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

Good Saturday morning! I hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start.  It’s a beautiful day here, made all the more so because, instead of working a double shift, I don’t have to go in to the restaurant [...]]]> Oh yes, that fire was burning last night.  So to speak.  More on that later!

Good Saturday morning! I hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start.  It’s a beautiful day here, made all the more so because, instead of working a double shift, I don’t have to go in to the restaurant until 4! Life is good.

Yesterday, Ari and I had a splendid breakfast at the diner.  Monday through Friday my omelet meal only costs $5 (including toast, coffee & juice), and you know I love a deal.

I got my usual egg whites with spinach, tomato, mushrooms and feta:

Dry toast with lots of HFCS grape jelly, of which I ate every bite.

After catching up with you lovely people, I went on a 2 mile run.  Heather told me Jillian’s going to be taking some time off from her radio show, so, to stretch out the back-episodes, I took a break and listened to some cheesy pop instead. (And by “cheesy” I mean Akon’s sweet, sweet tunes.) I ran faster overall, but took a few walk breaks (never for more than 30 seconds).

The HRM blinked 00 for a couple minutes mid-run, so these stats are a little off:

Total time: 21:45 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 188 (94%)

Average heart rate: 164 (82%)

Calories burned: 231

After my run, I had a little time to kill before work so I did some cleaning.  One of my house chores is to make sure there’s nothing that’s gone funk in the fridge, so, when I noticed half a can of chickpeas about to turn, I decided to use them for a recipe I saw in this month’s issue of SELF.

In the article this was featured in, Zooey Deschanel (one of my favorites) listed a lot of her favorite easy recipes, most (if not all) of which are vegan.  I wanted to make her “Vegan Chocolate Dessert,” but the ingredients were really expensive at my local health food store.  These spiced chickpeas will be great as a snack, though!

I went with Ari to the deli to get lunch, but I’m trying to save money so I just sat with him while he ate.  I didn’t realize how hungry I was, though, and I had to have some cherries so I wouldn’t eat my lunch before it was made! (That happens a lot.)

Lunch was a big, I-Miss-You salad:

• romaine
• arugula
• 1 orange bell pepper
• TJ’s Meatless Meatballs (finally, Jess!)
• hummus
• goat cheese
• Bragg’s liquid aminos (I can’t believe I’m just trying this! I LOVE IT.)

I also had a perfectly ripe peach and Trader Joe’s Nonfat Organic Greek Honey Yogurt (reviewed here).

During work, I snacked on my new Peanut Butter & Jelly Larabar.  (Their website says there are three new flavors; I only have the PB&J and Tropical Fruit Tart… does anyone know what the other flavor is?)

Verdict: Amazing.  It tastes just like a smooshed peanut butter & jelly sandwich, made with crunch peanut butter, that’s been sitting in your lunchbox all morning. Move over, Cinnamon Roll… this may be my new favorite flavor!

The undocumented snacks: iced coffee, fresh mozzarella.

At work, if you sell 10 specials, you get to have one for dinner.  I sold 9, but Ramon made me the special salad anyway! This is a jumbo shrimp and avocado salad with corn and tomatoes, served over mixed greens in a lemon-mint vinaigrette.

YUM.

My friend Howard came by and surprised me with some fruit salad.  Although I shared it with the rest of the staff, I ate most of it myself! It must have been 2 lbs of fruit… oof!

So… work was just fine until about midnight, when I was closing my last two tables and getting ready to go home.  There ended up being some more drama that lasted an hour, a visit from the cops, handcuffs, and, obviously, no tip.  Double oof.

Well, I’m going to get a little work for my internship done while I have the spare time.  I’ve done some kind of exercise for the last 5 days, so I’m going to give myself a day off.

I hope you’re up to something fun! Have a great Saturday

Last night, Ari and I had the pleasure of joining fellow bloggers (out of order, sorry!) Heather, Caroline, Liz, Olga, Danielle, Katharine, Amelia, Dierdre, Diana and Marina, for dinner at [...]]]> Good evening and happy Saturday night!  The last two days have been a constant go, go, go! , so please excuse the posting delay.

Last night, Ari and I had the pleasure of joining fellow bloggers (out of order, sorry!) Heather, Caroline, Liz, Olga, Danielle, Katharine, Amelia, Dierdre, Diana and Marina, for dinner at Candle 79.

While we were chatting about food and foodies, the restaurant staff brought out an amuse bouche: curried lentil dip with onions on a homemade tortilla.  Great start to a great night!

Ari and I split the Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Cake made with seasonal vegetables, red pepper-coconut curry, apricot-date chutney, and toasted almonds.

We also ordered the Wild Mushroom-saffron Ravioli with cashew ricotta, roasted tomato-truffle sauce, sautéed broccoli raab, and crispy capers.

The Chickpea Cake was my favorite, while Ari preferred the ravioli.  Worked out perfectly!

I also stole one of Liz‘s quinoa-flax crisps, which reminded me a lot of Dr. Kracker’s.

It was such a pleasure to meet some of the ladies I’ve come to “know” so well.  Hope to see you again soon! Thanks again to Heather for organizing a fabulous evening.

After dinner, Ari and I headed down to The Living Room to see Ari’s friend John‘s band play.  On the way there, we noticed a lot of people stopping in the middle of the street, staring at the sky and taking photos.  We were afraid there was some kind of apocalyptic happening going on, but instead we just saw these crazy clouds.

After the show, we went to a really cool bar for the after-party that was, back in the day, an authentic speak-easy. Pretty cool!

Then we headed to Brooklyn for the Swine Flu party.  Unfortunately, a lot of people ended up not being able to make it, so it was a pretty small gathering.  It was still fun, though, and the decor was awesome!

Cheese and raspberries were gobbled…

Notice the N1H1 cookies! Genius, right? So genius that I had to eat two

While Ari was in a deli picking up beer, I ended up finding some good bargains.  Cheap Chobani, 1 lb of fruit salad for $1.99, and the best: about 20 medjool dates for $2.99!  I’m such a dork, but I was really excited about that.

This morning I had a strawberry Chobani yogurt, fruit salad, and a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and cinnamon.

I don’t remember ever having flavored Chobani before.  I was a little skeptical about a fruit-on-the-bottom-style Greek yogurt, but I ended up really digging it! If I can ever afford it again, I’ll be picking up the other flavors.

After breakfast, we drove to Connecticut for a surprise birthday/graduation party.  We stopped to pick up Ari’s parents at their friends’ house, and were greeted by a variety of Food Should Taste Good crackers and Sabra hummus.   I was very happy.

The lady of the house whipped us up a delicious mushroom pizza.

I had a small slice.

After our “snack,” we got back in the car to to go the party.  After arriving and saying our hellos, we made our way to the bar tent. There were coolers of red and white sangria:

Ari tapped the keg.

Over the course of the day, I had a cup of white sangria:

And a cup of red sangria.

I’m not usually a sangria person, but I wasn’t in the mood for beer.  It was actually pretty refreshing!

They were serving hot dogs, hamburgers, and lobster.  Guess what I got?!

Each mesh baggie was filled with steamed lobster, corn-on-the-cob, mussels, clams, and potatoes.

I made a huge mess, but it was amazing.

The birthday boy just graduated from dental school, so there was a red velvet “braces” cake:

There were also cute little graduation and birthday cupcakes.

The hat was too cute to pass up, so I had a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting.  (Ari was pretty enamored with the newborn baby.)

Ilana was also taken with Baby.

Beth & Abe had a blast.

The party was really fun, and it was so nice to get out of the city for the day.  Don’t get me wrong: I love New York and I can’t imagine living anywhere else, but I need a mental health break from it from time to time.

We ate around 4, so my stomach felt a little off all day.  I didn’t know if I should eat dinner, snack, or what! The perfect solution seemed to be fat free peanut butter frozen yogurt. Funny how that logic works, hmm?

All in all, it’s been a pretty great weekend. (Bonus question: how many times do I use “pretty” in this post? ) I have to be at work in less than 9 hours so I’m going to say goodnight and good luck!

Catch up with ya later, gators.