This morning I had the best of intentions: my alarm went off at 5:30, and I had my clothes all laid out with my bag packed and ready to go… but I slept horribly last night and I just couldn’t push myself through the [...]]]> The macaroon fairy, that is!  More on that to come…

This morning I had the best of intentions: my alarm went off at 5:30, and I had my clothes all laid out with my bag packed and ready to go… but I slept horribly last night and I just couldn’t push myself through the fatigue.  An hour and a half more sleep proved much more beneficial to my body today, although I’m still exhausted right now!

As promised, I made my new favorite bowl of oatmeal.

• 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1/2 cup water
• cinnamon
• stevia
• pumpkin butter
• lemon curd
• pumpkin
• chunky peanut butter

For some reason my breakfasts haven’t been holding me over too well recently… I would guess it’s because I’ve been working out a lot, but I feel like in the past when I’ve boosted my mileage I was usually able to wait a little longer than two hours after eating!  In addition, even though the races I trained for were for shorter distances than the half I’m training for now, I was running almost every day and ended up logging more miles than I am currently.  So, it’s a conundrum!

In any event, I brought an apple and orange to work.

My mom met me for lunch at Le Pain Quotidien.

We split a bowl of vegan spinach soup to start…

I ordered the Smoked Salmon Salad with arugula, roasted beets, vegetables, goat cheese dressing and bread (I ate half of a slice of baguette, lightly buttered).

I’m so lucky to live in the same place as my parents.  These mid-week visits are so lovely!

Later in the afternoon, I snacked on a Cranberry Nut Forze bar.

This reminded me of a combination Kashi Trail Mix Bar and Rice Krispie Treat.  It was pretty sweet, but I liked it.  Now that I’ve tried all four flavors, I’m ready to give you my bottom line.  I like that these bars taste like treats, but don’t have the kinds of chemicals and additives that their counterparts do (like, say, a real Rice Krispie Treat or an Oreo granola bar).  I also like that they aren’t a caloric commitment; at 150 calories, this bar is more of an appropriate snack  than a 300+ calories energy bar when I need a little boost in the afternoon between lunch and dinner.  Would I buy these? Probably, especially now that I know they’re sold at The Vitamin Shoppe, where I have a rewards card!

After work, I met Lisa for dinner at Blockheads.  I think this is our new spot!

I started with a Modelo, but I was so enamored with Lisa’s “Red Nose Bull” (a Corona upturned in a frozen margarita) that I forgot to snap a photo.  But it sure was cool and refreshing!  I ordered the same dinner as last time: a mini Vegetable Burrito (and by “mini” I mean the size of my forearm) with brown rice, black beans, sautéed vegetables and salsa in a whole wheat wrap with tofu sour cream.

Eating out twice in one humpday? Unheard of!

I went home to the best dessert, courtesy of The Macaroon Fairy, Miss Gina.

I’ve dreamed of Gina’s raw macaroons for so long, and these were even better than I could have imagined.

She sent two kinds: plain ‘roon (although it was far from it!) and super’oon (cacao nibs, maca, goji berries.  I can’t pick a favorite.  Luckily I have a few more left to ponder!  I gave a couple to Danielle at work, who also gave them two enthusiastic thumbs up.  Gina, you’re a genius! Thank you so much

Tomorrow morning I will get up at 5:45 to log my 6 miles;  I’m going to a special event tomorrow night so there won’t be any other time to do it.  My iPod is loaded with fresh ‘tunes, so I can do it!

Have a great night

Before I left I had a slice of [...]]]> This morning when I woke up, I was not feeling my 7 mile run.  I checked the weather: 15 degrees.  It seemed like a much better idea to just lie in bed… but I knew I’d feel better about my training plan if I did it.

Before I left I had a slice of whole wheat toast with coconut butter and raspberry jam.

It was really cold.  I finally got to the point where the wind didn’t hurt anymore, but when, after 5 miles, I popped back into the apartment for a quick pit stop to answer nature, I found that my legs were completely numb! So… it was quitting time.  I may not have gotten 7 miles in, but I made do with 5.

Breakfast was a quick bowl of savory oats; that cute lil’ egg shape is the result by whisking an egg and than microwaving it for 45 seconds.

• 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1/2 cup water
• cottage cheese
• 1 whole egg
• Frank’s Red Hot sauce
• black pepper

I also had an orange to help get me through my reading and laundry-folding…

Er… woke up two hours later. So much for that burst of energy!  I made a big salad for a quick lunch…

In the mix:

• spinach
• dulse
• tofu (1/3 block)
• tempeh bacon (2 slices)
• mushrooms
• steamed broccoli stems
• Rosemary Quackers (from One Lucky Duck)
• rice wine/olive oil/mustard vinaigrette

After lunch I made took my grocery list and went to my new favorite supermarket to stock up for the week.   I really could have spent hours in there! Unfortunately there was no time for that… when I got back home and put everything away, I plunked back down to work, snacking on a Granny Smith apple with cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne.  I like this combination! The extra zing! kept me awake this time.

It was Family Dinner night at our house tonight! (Read about our first Family Dinner here.) My contribution was a big salad with Boston lettuce, radicchio, Fuji apple slices, shaved parmesan, dried figs and parsley.

I also made plantains (sliced and sautéed in marjarine until lightly crispy)… they were so good that we all just ate them out of the pan with our fingers! (Forgot to take a photo of these, sorry.)

Ilana made fettuccine with wild mushrooms and parsley…

… and Chrsitine made a delicious strawberry and blueberry pie!  She topped our slices with dollops of Vanilla Chobani.

I’m so impressed with our Family Dinner endeavors… we already have our next date booked.   I’m on entrée duty next time… what is your favorite weeknight crowd-pleasing dinner?

Back to the grind.  Hope your week is off to a great start!

I did not, as planned, practice yoga last night.  Instead I caught up with my [...]]]> Happy almost weekend! Thursday just kind of snuck up on us, yeah? And, from your responses about stress, it seems like we could all use a little weekend rejuvenation.  How do you plan to relax on your days off?

I did not, as planned, practice yoga last night.  Instead I caught up with my little red-headed, snuggling in bed with the phone.  It felt just like high school again!  Some friendships will always stay strong.  I set my alarm for 6:30 and got up to do a 20 minute hip opening flow on Yoga Download.  I was still pretty tired so I kept my eyes shut the whole time; it felt amazing! My hips have been really tight from sitting in a chair all day.

Breakfast was a big bowl of oatmeal, eaten in bed while watching Grey’s Anatomy.

• 1/2 cup oats made with 1/2 cup water
• warmed frozen berries
• 1 banana
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 scoop almond butter
• stevia
• cinnamon

After I finished eating, I peeled back the covers and “slept” for another 10 minutes.  It probably didn’t do anything to take away my drowsiness, but it was too comfy to resist.

I acted as courier and dropped a package off for my boss for someone in my neighborhood; I’d anticipated getting to work late as a result, but I arrived only 20 minutes later than usual!  I love when the subways run on schedule.  Running around seemed to stimulate my metabolism, so I snacked on an orange to soothe my hunger.

It worked… for about 30 minutes.  Then to the snack drawer I went!  I had a mini Chocolate Brownie Clif Bar.

Luckily lunch was filling.

• Salad with kale, spinach, goji berries (soaked to plump!), carrots, grape tomatoes, feta, blush champagne vinaigrette
• Moroccan Gazpacho
• Fuji apple (saved to eat as an afternoon snack)

I was scheduled to do speedwork at the gym today, and I’ll be honest: I really didn’t think I was going to make it.  As I’ve mentioned, it’s incredibly difficult for me to stay focused and motivated while on the treadmill, and even if I cover the screen with a towel, I keep peeking to see how much time has gone by.  Tedius!  But, I made it through the session and logged my miles.  Speedwork is great because it forces you to keep changing things up!

Mile 1: warm-up at 5.8 mph, 0.5% incline

Miles 1.1-4.0: intervals: 1600 (.25 mile) @ 6.9 mph, 800 (.125 mile) @ 6.2 mph. Continuous repetition. 0.5% incline

Mile 4.0-4.75: 5.8 mph + two 7.2 mph sprints @ 0.5% incline

Mile 4.75-5.0: 3.5-4.5 mph

Total time: 48 minutes

Celebrate the tiny victories!

When I got home, I went straight to the kitchen to start making dinner.  The upside of your boyfriend being gone a lot of the time?  No one cares if you’re a sweaty mess!  Unfortunately, no one was here to eat this dinner with me.

I’ve gotten several e-mails asking me about tempeh! How to eat it, does it need to be cooked, my favorite recipes, etc.  Tempeh is one of my favorite proteins, but I didn’t even really start eating it until about a year ago!  Now, I eat it all the time: in salads…

In sandwiches…

Or just plain grilled!

But what is tempeh, exactly?

• Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and is often produced with other grains.

• It has a firm texture and a slightly bitter taste; if the taste bothers you (I don’t mind it), you can always boil it in water for a few minutes.  Boiling it allows it to more easily absorb the flavors of whatever sauce you choose to marinate or top it with, if any.
• It’s a protein powerhouse! One serving of tempeh can have as much as 18g of protein (not to mention it’s free of cholesterol).

How I eat tempeh

• Like tofu, I often just dice it up and eat it as is on top of a salad.   I realize this isn’t for everyone and I didn’t love it at first, but now it’s one of my favorite proteins! It technically is already “cooked”, so you don’t have to “do” anything to it.  Again, the taste can be a little strong, but I find a good salad dressing with a good mix of sweet and spicy components really compliments this bitterness.
• Grill it! Simmer the tempeh for about 10 minutes, then marinate in your sauce of choice (Gliding Calm’s tofu rub works wonderfully) for anywhere from 20 minute to 1 hour, depending how much time you have.  Then plop your tempeh on the grill (or Geoge Foreman, if you’re an apartment dweller like me) and cook until grill marks form. Switch sides.
• Toss it in a stir fry or curry!

Coconut Tempeh Curry

Inspired by this recipe.

• 1 small sweet potato
• 2 small yukon gold potatoes, or other potato of choice, peeled and diced
• 1-1/2 t salt
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 8 oz tempeh, diced
• 1/4 t turmeric
• 1 t allspice
• 1/2 t garam masala
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t cayenne
• 1-15 oz can crushed tomatoes in thick purée
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 2 T plain nonfat yogurt
• optional garnishes: cilantro, mint, or parsley (whatever you have on hand), shredded coconut, agave nectar

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Place potatoes in steamer basket and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt; steam until they are tender, 20-30 minutes.  The sweet potatoes may take a shorter length of time; if this happens, remove them from the basket when they are done and continue to cook the yellow potatoes.

Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large skillet until it shimmers.  Add onion and sauté over low 5 minutes, or until tender.  Add spices.  Stir.  Add tomatoes and remaining 1/2 tsp salt.  Stir in yogurt until mixed well.  Add tempeh and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add spinach and cover about 5 minutes or until leaves begin to wilt.  Once potatoes finish cooking, add them to the skillet and remove from heat, stirring to combine.

Serve, garnishing with agave nectar, cilantro (or other fresh herb), and shredded coconut.

Serves 4.

I enjoyed my curry with Turkish rice.  It was fabulous! I definitely recommend a light drizzle of agave or maple syrup… it really brings out the flavor.

Do you like tempeh? What is your favorite way to eat it?

Dinner was enjoyed with a glass of “3 Buck Chuck” from Trader Joe’s.  It was delicious! I would have had no idea that it only cost three dollars.  I’m glad I know it’s good… I’ll have to stock the wine rack with it!

I had last of the Easy Chocolate Mousse for dessert.  It may have been even better today, three days after I made it! I sprinkled my bowl (AKA Tupperware container ) with cinnamon and chocolate chips.

While I ate, I watched Away We Go.  I loved it! It might make my top 10 list.

Now, it is far past my bedtime.  Have a great night! I’m going to be out tomorrow night, so if I don’t “see” you tomorrow, have a lovely weekend

This morning I did not want to get out of bed.  I snoozed and snoozed, finally rousing myself at 7:20 to put a pot of coffee on.  Showering at night saves so much time! [...]]]> Evening and happy humpday! Even though this is a four-day week, it definitely felt like a steep climb towards Wednesday.

This morning I did not want to get out of bed.  I snoozed and snoozed, finally rousing myself at 7:20 to put a pot of coffee on.  Showering at night saves so much time! I made a bowl of Tutti Frutti Nutti Oats and climbed back into bed to watch the news.

• 1/2 cup oats made with 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp unsweetened coconut
• 1 banana
• 2 dried apricots
• 1 scoop flaxy peanut butter (almost finished with the jar!)
• cinnamon
• stevia

I was pretty busy today, but I managed to snack on a Fuji apple during a calm moment.

At 1, Danielle and I took our lunch outside to eat.

I had a bowl of Moroccan Gazpacho with pita and a small salad with romaine, mushrooms, green beans and tomato (they’re under there, I promise!).

This soup is a keeper! Instead of using pine nuts (as the recipe calls for),  I used chopped almonds.  And because I’d made this soup on Monday the raisins were nice and plump, and the sweet spicy flavor was really brought out.

When I got back to my desk, I had a vegan energy bar. So much for waiting until later in the afternoon! It did hold me over for the rest of the day, though.

After work, Leslie and I met at Galaxy Global Eatery for dinner.  I’ve passed it hundreds of times and had no idea what it was.  Even when inside, Leslie and I couldn’t quite figure out what kind of atmosphere GBE was going for! It was sort of like a combination dive bar, old-school diner, and health-food restaurant.

We shared an order of sweet potato tamales with cilantro butter, which came out less than two minutes after we ordered them.  They were okay, but I definitely prefer Peacefood‘s. The cilantro butter definitely made the dish!

Leslie and I ordered the same entrée, thte Starlight Caesar Salad with romaine hearts, frissé, fried caper blossoms, cornmeal crusted tofu, avocado, lotus crostini & vegan hemp caesar dressing.

Galaxy Global Eatery may not have been my favorite restaurant, but the company made it memorable.  We’ll have to get together again soon, Leslie!

I was more than ready for dessert when I got home, and headed straight for the freezer before I even took off my coat.  I had Naked, Mint Galactica, and Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Coconut Bliss Ice Cream, eaten straight out of the carton, topped with chipotle and cardamom hot fudge.

It’s almost 9:30, and my goal is to be in bed having showered, made tomorrow’s lunch, watched Grey’s Anatomy (from last week) and practiced light yoga by 11.  Doable? You know it!

On a scale of 1-10, how stressful is your average day?

Last night I made a breakfast cookie for this morning using chia seeds!  I figured they’d have time [...]]]> Hey there, chickadees.  Talk about a humpday! I didn’t even realize it was Wednesday until it was almost 5:00… this week is going by so slowly.  It must be an after-effect of the holidays, but seriously!

Last night I made a breakfast cookie for this morning using chia seeds!  I figured they’d have time to plump up and turn into the “gel” if they soaked over night.

In the cookie:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• big splash of skim milk
• 1 tsp almond butter
• toppings: cinnamon, 1 almond nose, 2 prune eyes, goji berry smile (makes Jim look a little bit creepy!)

I made Ari one, too, but added more oats and left out the chia.  (He must not have been feeling this particular mixture; there were only two little spoonfuls missing when I got home from work.)

I thought I took my time to get ready this morning, but when I got to work I realized that while I’d thought I’d applied brown eyeliner, it had really been purple!  Whoopsies.  But hey, why not pretend you’re at the club when it’s 9 AM on a Wednesday? Spice up your day!

Around 11, I snacked on a tangerine (and ate another one at 3).

For lunch, I had the last of the Tomatoey Spiced Chickpeas with mixed greens and pita bread.   I actually ate with my coworkers and not at my desk,  but since I’m still new I didn’t want to explain the blog to a big group of people all at once (although some do know).

At 4:30, as the work day was coming to a close, I had half of a Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch Clif Bar.   I really wasn’t all that hungry, I just wanted something to chew on.

When I got home, the band was packing up and getting ready to leave for tour.  I helped load the van (no need to strength train when you date a musician… music gear is heavy!) then made dinner.  I’ve been wanting to make Heidi Swanson’s Sushi Bowl for ages, and I did!  I made a few adjustments for time and taste, starting with substituting her tofu for Gliding Calm’s.  I also added sesame seeds to the marinade.

Instead of cooking a new batch of rice, I used up the last of the Harvest Grains blend.  This is a keeper! You don’t even really need to use the recipe (although the dressing is mighty fine).

I sipped a glass of The Big Red Monster wine with dinner… the beast was unleashed.

Anticipating the next month’s Arilessness, I made myself a huge bowl of Coconut Bliss ice cream (Mint Galactica, Naked Coconut, Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge) with homemade chocolate sauce (two kinds of melted chocolate chips + water).

You can bet you’ll see a lot of that in the next few weeks.  I miss my boy already.

Last night, Ari decided he wanted a bowl of oatmeal! This is actually pretty shocking, because he’s not a huge fan of my breakfast creations (although he’s eaten Jim [...]]]> Happy Christmas Eve eve!  I still can’t believe it’s already here.  I won’t be blogging tomorrow, so please have a very merry holiday

Last night, Ari decided he wanted a bowl of oatmeal! This is actually pretty shocking, because he’s not a huge fan of my breakfast creations (although he’s eaten Jim once once or twice), favoring bagels or bacon-egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwiches instead. To each his own! Anyway, I wanted him to like his snack, so I mixed a scoop  each of pumpkin butter and Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter.   This combination got the thumbs up!

He then opened a can of pickled jalepeño peppers.  That’s my man!

This morning I made myself one of the best bowls of oats.  Seriously!

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup water
• pineapple
• dried cherries
• plain nonfat yogurt
• unsweetened shredded coconut
• agave nectar

This breakfast was tropical and festive, and reminded me of a piña colada in a bowl.  We used to go to Guadeloupe this time of year, and it reminded me of traditionally cold months spent in a warmer climate!

As I’ve mentioned, there really weren’t too many people in the office today… mostly other assistants who are holding down the fort while their supervisors are away.  I took advantage of the downtime to sort out some glitches with IT; the highlight of my day was actually when the computer technician and I spoke for almost half an hour about our favorite things to eat and cook!  All of that talk made me hungry, and after some embarrassingly tummy growls I finally went to the office kitchen to retrieve my snack: plain yogurt with pumpkin butter, almond butter and cinnamon.

I split my lunch hour into two parts to get the most out of it.  My hair is in that in-between stage where I can definitely wait another month or two to get it cut, but my bangs were starting to resemble a curtain. I’m going to a wedding next week, and thought it would be nicer for everyone if I cleaned myself up a bit.  So 20 minutes and $15 later, my bangs were neat and tidy!  I know some of you have master skills and can trim them yourselves; if you’d like to do a tutorial on this for us lesser folk, I would greatly appreciate it.

When I got back from the salon, I gobbled down my lunch while manning the phone.  I’m trying to eat up the (scant) ingredients in my fridge, so I made a salad with romaine, raw red cabbage, and two types of WF tofu (“balsamic baked” and “Sal’s special”).

Then I journeyed back outside to Westerly Natural Market for a juice run with a coworker.  He treated me to his favorite green juice, green lemonade (not 100% positive about the ingredients, but I think it was made with romaine, kale, apple, lemon and ginger).  It was so refreshing, and great to know there’s a good health food store within walking distance!  This could, of course, be dangerous for my wallet…

Someone came by my office at 4 saying we were all desperately in need of a sugar high and brought us each iced sugar cookies. These aren’t normally my style, but oh my lordy, they were good! It literally tasted like eating sweet butter.  Trust me, that’s better than it sounds.

I’d planned on going to a spin class at 5:45, but after almost 8 hours of not much action at work, we had a borderline crisis at 4:30.  So, no spin.  I was exhausted by the time I finally left the office and didn’t feel like going to the gym for any kind of exercise, so I just went home to relax.

Ari and I had nearly matching dinners: Whole Foods minestrone soup and a slice of Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin bread with a Morningstar Farms Pizza Burger and melted cheddar. Ari was a bit of a pansy and wasn’t feeling the veggie burger love.  He did, however, ask for “hippie juice” when I offered (what I refer to Bragg’s as).  Baby steps.

We watched The Brave One while we ate dinner.  Has anyone seen it? I think it deserves a 6.5/10.  Not bad, but not great either.   I had the last of the pineapple (recycled photo) for dessert, which was still incredibly sweet and juicy.

My food has been pretty boring for the last week or so (excepting the amazing dinners out), but hopefully I’ll have a little time on my hands to whip some fun things up.  I have to work tomorrow (although we close at 3 PM) and Monday, but I’m off Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I can’t wait!

And, if you celebrate…

HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS!  Safe journeys to anyone traveling.

(And don’t forget to send me your FAQs )

This morning [...]]]> Evening! How was your Monday? Mine was lovely, but very long.  I’m about ready to roll over and go to sleep… then wake up and do it all again!  This is working life, I guess. I actually really like having a routine, I just wish there were  more hours in the day.

This morning I was a little rushed to get things ready (and left a few dirty dishes in the sink for Ari… whoops).  We’re still really low on groceries; I’ve gotten some little things here and there, but haven’t done a big shop.  I think I’ll probably wait until after the holidays, though.  Anyway, I wanted to make a pumpkin cake, but I really didn’t have enough pumpkin.  And thus, the pumpkin-banana cake was born! I just mixed up a banana, pumpkin, pumpkin butter and egg whites together and microwaved them for 3 minutes.  I topped the mixture with plain yogurt, lemon curd and flaxy peanut butter, and mixed that all up, too. Mm-mm good!

At work I snacked on a Mocha-walla bar; I wasn’t exactly hungry, but it was a little slow in the office because of the holidays so I think I just ate out of boredom.  These bars always make me think of my friend K!  This was pretty good… not my favorite, but I’d probably buy it again.  I like the chunks of chocolate!

I stopped at Whole Foods yesterday to pick up some things (mostly protein) that I can mix into salads for fast and easy lunches to bring to work.  I’ll be honest: I’m not too proud that I haven’t been able to cook as much as I’d hoped, but I think I’ll get a better hang of it once I’ve settled in a little better.

My salad today had spinach, edamame salad, cabbage slaw, corn salad and sesame-baked tofu.

I ate with a friend from work, who stopped at Pret-à-Manger for her lunch.  While there, I picked up a container of antioxidant vinaigrette to dress my salad with because it was made with blueberries!  The sales clerk didn’t even charge me for it.  Tis the season for kindness and generosity

Back at work, I snacked on an apple and did some research.  Yep, I get paid to read! I love my job

One of my coworkers made my day when he not only brought me a copy of Sarma Melngailis’ Living Raw Food (which I have been lusting after for months), but a raw coco-nutty treat as well! It had raisins, seeds, coconut, and all sorts of good things. I think it’s high time my food processor was put to work to make some of these goodies.

When I left work, I high-tailed it to the West Village to meet my parents, George, Judy and Anita for Judy’s birthday dinner at Il Mulino.  Almost as soon as we sat down, we were given an amuse boûche of marinated tomatoes, mussels and fried zucchini.

We were each also given hunks of parmesan (which I may or may not have brought home with me)…

…and a bread basket for the table with the most delicious smoked chili oil-soaked strips of crusty bread.

The ladies ordered Manhattans…

… and we toasted Judy.

My dad and I split two appetizers: fresh calamari sautéed in a spicy herbed tomato sauce…

… and black squid-ink linguini with scallops, shrimp and calamari.  I only had a few bites of this (although it was quite delicious)… I wanted to save room!

For my entrée, I ordered the branzino special.  This was the most tender sea bass I’ve ever eaten: light, fluffy, and oh-so delicate.  It really only needed a bit of lemon!

After Jud blew out her candle…

we split three desserts six ways:  The best flourless chocolate cake I’ve had in my life, with the best whipped cream I’ve had in my life.  Seriously.

The sweetest fresh strawberries with cinnamon sabayon…

…and ricotta-mascarpone cheesecake.

We were also brought out glasses of grappa, and toasted again.  (I only had a sip, and gave the rest to George.)

Happy Birthday, Judy!

It was a wonderful night.

Last night while I was [...]]]> Good evening, duckies! How are you this fine Monday?  I’m feeling pretty darn fine myself, sipping tea in the comfort of my kitchen after a great day at work, a fabulous din with MVP (Mama), and a quick flash of friendly faces at home.  What made you happy today?

Last night while I was working in the kitchen, I thankfully had the foresight to whip up enough oatmeal to last me the week.  I had enough time to make steel-cut oats; it really only takes 25 minutes total, and it’s definitely worth the extra effort.

This morning I reheated a portion and topped it with warmed frozen berries, ground flax, agave and almonds. For some reason I prefer whole nuts to nut butters when I eat steel-cut oatmeal… it must be something about the nutty texture of the grains.

I said it a week ago and it still rings embarrassingly true: we need to go grocery shopping.  However, while we don’t have a lot of fresh produce, we do have ingredients that, with a little creativity, can make up a pretty good meal.

When I was living in France, I noticed that a lot of people had lentil salads for lunch or to supplement their dinners.  Lentils are high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Lunch-Break Protein Salad

• 3/4 cup canned lentils
• 1/3 cup frozen edamame, thawed
• 1 tbsp crumbled feta
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• crushed walnuts

Gently stir ingredients together.  Serves 1.

This lentil-edamame salad was all made with ingredients that had been sitting in my fridge, pantry or freezer for at least a month.  I should shop here more often!  I also brought carrots, hummus, and a honey-flavored Oikos Greek yogurt with me.

Today was my first day at work on my own, without being trained or supervised.  It was a little overwhelming, but a lot of fun.  There’s a lot of information being thrown at me, but I’m taking lots of notes, asking questions, and doing my best.

New York has a lot of hidden gems, many of which are public parks like this one.  Surrounded by office building, they have waterfalls that drown out traffic and city noise, open plazas and cafe tables for socializing, and trees to bring a little zen into your day.  I spent my lunch in on of these parks today to clear my mind and recharge.

When I got back to the office, I quickly realized one of the keys to a successful work day: a strong cup of coffee between 2:30 and 3.  I already have pretty low energy (which I’ve discussed here several times), and this little jolt of java really helped keep me going. Whatever it takes!

Throughout the day I also snacked on a Raisin Spice Heart Thrive Cake…

… and before I knew it, it was 5:45 and time to go home!  On my way out the door, I opened up a can of coconut water to hold myself through dinner.

I met my mom for dinner at our usual Japanese restaurant.

We toasted the future with hot sake…

… and shared some steamed shrimp shumai.

Anticipating lunch tomorrow, I ordered a bowl of tofu nabe (broth with vegetables, tofu, and seasoning).  I ate most of the vegetables but packed up a lot of the broth, which I will beef up and bring to work tomorrow.

When I got home, I cozied up with a mug of Gingerbread Spice tea and a sugar cookie my mom brought all the way back from Santa Fe!  The cookie did not last long

My knee is still hurting from the 15K yesterday, but the official times were finally listed! I came in at 1:33:26.  Not any kind of rank, but I’m still just proud I finished

It’s past my bedtime.  Goodnight!

Last night, after we got back from the wedding, I hunkered down to do some reading and prepare for my interviews.  All of that brain stimulation must have shot my metabolism into [...]]]> Good evening, Upper East Siders!  How are you? I’m taking a little work break to blog and catch up on my Gossip.

Last night, after we got back from the wedding, I hunkered down to do some reading and prepare for my interviews.  All of that brain stimulation must have shot my metabolism into overdrive, because only a couples hours after dinner,  my tum was a-grumblin’ something fierce! I thought I might just be thirsty, but that didn’t seem to be it.  Finally, I put down my book and headed into the kitchen to make a bowl of Kashi GoLean and Smart Start. Problem solved!

This morning, I woke up bright and early to see Ari off.  As I mentioned, he’s going Vigilante through December, and had to leave at 7:30 this morning.  I tried to go back to sleep, but my mind was already up and ready to go.  I had to be at physical therapy at 10 anyway, so I just got up and made breakfast.

Taking Jess‘s advice, I heated up half of a Trader Joe’s Berry Mango Bran Muffin, crumbled it up, and tossed in on top of 0% Fage with some warmed frozen berries and a scoop of flaxy PB.  I really like this peanut butter, by the way.   It’s both crackly and crunchy and adds great texture!

Quite the mess!

My therapy session went well… I still have a lot of tightness in pretty much each muscle in my legs, so I have to keep working on that.  Repeat after me: yoga, rolling and stretching, okay!  When I got back, I briefly chatted with the guest who is staying with us, made myself an apple-cinnamon snack, and retreated to my room to be interviewed (via phone) with the HR department for the company I’m interviewing with.

It shaped up to be one of those days where I was constantly hungry, so I made something as soon as the clock showed that it was even remotely close to lunchtime.  Ellie reminded me yesterday about the beauty of the crack wrap, so I made one with a whole wheat wrap, three-layer hummus, and a slice of Jarlsberg cheese.

I ate it with half a can of Progresso’s Fat Free Lentil soup.   This isn’t the tastiest of the canned variety, but I had a hankering for soup.  I’ll definitely be making my own in the near future!

Finished up the meal with a piece of salt water taffy for a sweet end.

I’ve been searching in vain for the seasonal Celestial Seasonings teas (like Sugar Cookie and Gingerbread)… any New Yorkers know where I can track it down?  I settled on a cup of Sweet Coconut Thai Chai, which was a good substitute…

…but it knocked me right out!  Ari caught me snoozing at 5PM when he woke me up with a phone call.  Whoops! I snacked on some carrots to perk me back up…

… then did Yoga Download‘s Hip Opening Flow #2.  I have trouble practicing yoga for more than 20 minutes when I’m not in class… does anyone have tips for staying in the moment? Turning off my phone would probably be a good start!

I heated up some leftover Coconut Barley Pilaf and made a quick salad with kale, broccoli slaw, grape tomatoes, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.

Honestly, as much as I love my fancy salad dressings, I could probably make a sesame vinaigrette every night and be happy.  It’s simple, but so delicious.  I don’t even use measurements or mix anything together… the vinegar and oil just get drizzled on.

I made another quick dessert, starting with a tri-flavored chocolate sauce using Pure Dark cardamom chocolate, semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chips.

I added a few drops of water, microwaved the bowl for 35 seconds, then mixed in some Brown Sugar ice cream.

And thus concludes another day’s passing without having spent a single extra dollar on food.  I’m going to have to buy some fresh produce soon, as we’re running low on fruit and vegetables, but otherwise the kitchen is pretty stocked.  It’s a satisfying feeling.

Back to work… it’s going to be a late night.  Bonne nuit