Yesterday morning I woke up, made a quick breakfast, and took it back to bed to watch Grey’s Anatomy. Breakfast in bed is one of my favorite things, and why shouldn’t a person start a workday doing something enjoyable? If 20 minutes is all the luxury I have time for, I’ll take the 20 minutes! What’s your breakfast routine like?

I was in the mood for a variety of textures, so I made a yogurt mess.

In the mix:

• 0% Fage Greek yogurt
• 1 banana
• Trader Joe’s mini blueberry bran muffin
• flaxy peanut butter
• stevia

In the middle of the middle of a fast-paced morning, I found a spare moment to unwrap and devour a vegan energy bar.

The lunch I packed had several components.

• Coconut Tempeh Curry
• Salad with kale, spinach, soaked goji berries, celery, carrots, grape tomatoes
• sliced cucumber, salted
• clementines

Danielle and I were both members of the Tupperware Club!  And I was very happy to see that our office refrigerator was stocked with club soda… I rarely buy it, because I can’t stand paying for water.

As soon as the clock struck 5, I raced across town (trying to be ever-so-graceful while schlepping my computer, lunch bag, and plastic tote filled with various sundries… even on my lightest days, I have at least two awkward bags!) to meet my friend Howard for a pre-ballet dinner at Arpeggio Food and Wine, a lovely restaurant on the ground floor of Avery Fisher Hall. We sat right next to the window and looked out at the new renovations around Lincoln Center.

Almost immediately after being seated, we were brought rolls and butter. I had a small bite, but my appetite was still absent due to a late lunch, and I wanted to save room for the main event.

We sipped glasses of Albariño, I white wine I’ve enjoyed ever since I worked in a restaurant where it was the house varietal.

We ordered the prix fixe, which came with appetizer, salad and dessert. I started with the Arpeggio salad: mixed greens, pears, dried cherries and blue cheese.

We both ordered the Ocean Trout with truffle roasted cauliflower and black lentils. What came out was actually salmon (with no explanation for the change offered) and the cauliflower didn’t have any particular “truffle” taste to me, but it was still very good. We were in a rush, so I only had time to eat half.

For dessert, I ordered the pear and lemon sorbet duo. The pear was delicious! I’m such a chocoholic that I often forget how much I enjoy fruity desserts. This was quite light and fluffy, but I only ate about 2/3 as I knew there were more treats to come.

Howard ordered the bread pudding. I had a bite… it was good, but not quite my style. I felt the butter ooze out as soon as I bit into it!

We saw three ballets: the first was Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht (the New York City Ballet is famous for its Balanchine program), Peter Martins’ Naïve and Sentimental Music, and Alexey Miroshnichenko’s The Lady with the Little Dog (inspired by the Chekhov story). It’s been years since I’ve been to the ballet; it’s a truly magical experience.

Our tickets granted us entry to a special reception and talk-back with two of the dancers. It was really interesting to hear about their “real” lives! Not many dancers make it to the principal level, simply because of injury. Like many sports, ballet is very hard on the body. At the reception, I had another glass of white wine as well as a brownie bite and chocolate-marzipan petit four.

There may have been a few clementines consumed when I got home… what will I do when these guys are out of season?!

Hope to see you later with full-powered internet! Have a great night

I got up bright and early on Sunday morning to go on a long run.  I ate half a Chocolate Chip Clif bar, drank some water, and bagged up my gummies.

I ran at a snail’s pace.  Shouldn’t I be getting faster, and not slower, as I keep doing this?  I think it was my worst time ever.  I’d planned on running 6.5 miles, but ended up stopping after 4.5 and didn’t end up needing my gummies.  However, this didn’t bother me at all! It was not even 9 in the morning on a Sunday, and I’d already knocked out a decent run before breakfast.  Not bad.

Total distance: 4.5 miles

Total time: 48:59

Maximum heart rate: 201 (102%)

Average heart rate: 164 (83%)

I had brunch plans with Kalle, Lisa, and Lizzie, so I grabbed an apple on the way out to keep the hunger beasts at bay.

We ate at City Bakery, and by the time we got there I was so thirsty and so hungry that I wanted to eat everything and it ended up taking me so long to actually pick out my food.  Don’t you hate that?

I ended up loading my plate with smoked salmon, roasted cauliflower and butternut squash with Asian pears and hazelnuts (must make this):

I also got a bowl of fruit.

Black coffee and water was a must…

I also grabbed a bite of Lizzie’s cornbread/jalepeño/white cheddar sandwich.  Great in theory, but strangely sweet in execution.

It was very nice to catch up with my ladyfriends… I do not do this nearly enough.  On the way home, I stumbled upon a street fair and picked up cups of lemonade for me and my mom.

I was still parched… I’m usually very good about rehydrating after a run, but I was in such a rush to get out the door that I didn’t think about it.  This will be a lot easier soon (hint, hint)! I was also, somehow, still hungry, so I made an open-faced sandwich with peanut butter, banana, honey & cinnamon when I got home.

A little later, George and Judy came over.  My mom set out tomatoes with sea-salt and Maker’s Mark… that’s how we do it chez LVP.

I wasn’t feeling the whiskey, so I went for a nice glass of Riesling.

Ari came over, and we got the party started.  My dad made us a feast! We had spicy ginger potatoes… who doesn’t like fancy home fries?

We also had spicy corn chowder (see a theme?), which I’ve been begging for for years.

Fresh-baked bread to sop it all up…

Sweet and spicy scallops…

It was a delicious meal, rounded out with wasabi-spiced cucumber salad.

My aunt, uncle and cousins sent a very special Edible Arrangements presentation:

My dad also made one of my favorite cakes…

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, from this cookbook.  It’s made without butter or egg yolks, but is so rich and flavorful.

I enjoyed my slice with quite a bit of fruit.

It was a fabulous birthday weekend, and I’m pretty sure I sailed through it on a constant sugar high.  But wait! The treats will continue indefinitely; there are still a couple cupcakes left, and George and Judy gave me some fancy dark chocolate as well.

I also enjoyed some snail mail from my long-lost lovelies, Carlye and Luke, great new running gear, fashion items… very spoiled, I am.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend as well!  I’m off to do more reading and job searching.  Have a fabbity fab day!

*Sunday in the city

Yesterday for breakfast I made a piping hot bowl of oats with pumpkin pie mix, frozen cherries, and peanut butter. I don’t think Ari was so impressed with it… I dream of the day when he lets me pimp his oatmeal!

I was so slow getting out of the house yesterday.  I piddled, I paddled, and before I knew it it was 2 o’clock!  I grabbed some chunks of energy…

Packed my lunch…

This was a sprout salad with beets, tomatoes, carrots, black bean burger, and hummus.

Kay’s Naturals White Cheddar Cheese crisps to snack on…

These were good! They still left me really garlicky, though…

I didn’t end up eating lunch until 4:30, after my gym session (30 minutes on the bike, arms, legs & lazy abs), and I was worried that I wouldn’t be too hungry for dinner.  However, Ilana organized a really nice dinner with lots of family and love, at Uncle George’s Greek restaurant, and by the time we sat down, I was starved!  We ordered carafes (or “buckets”, as Abe called them) of red and white wine…

Appetizer platters of assorted dips for the table… eggplant and tzatziki seemed to be the favorites, and we scooped them up with grilled pita (unpictured).

My dad and I shared grilled octopus…

… and I ordered the baked fish special for my entrée.  We were all very excited about the lemon potatoes!

It was massive… I probably only ate about 1/3!

After dinner, a familiar song began… I’m not a huge fan of having my picture taken, if you hadn’t already noticed!

The cake was chocolate mousse, layered with strawberries.  I ate every last bite!

We were also celebrating an upcoming wedding… it was a great time.

When we got home, I unwrapped a present…

My very own food processor!!! Thank you SO MUCH, guys

I can’t wait to get started with this, but I don’t know what to make first! Nut butter, bread, soup, sauce, faux Larabars… what are your favorite food processor recipes?

Well, I’m off to wake the boy and get our corn maze on.  I may be a little slow with reading and commenting, but I love you all! To make up for it, check out Junghwa’s 18 Rabbits granola bar giveaway.

Have a great day!!!

Yesterday I wanted a hot, comforting bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.  I overslept, but luckily had enough time for a nice (if hurried) meal.

• 1/2 cup oats (cooked in water)
• 1/2 banana
• warmed frozen blueberries
• 1 T freshly ground organic peanut butter

The morning was spent going to and from Manhattan and napping.  You’d think I wouldn’t have an appetite when I wasn’t feeling so great, but… I’m always a hungry girl! I made a sandwich with a TJ’s Marsala burger, hummus, asiago cheese, mustard, and spinach on Ezekiel.  We’re running very low on ingredients, but I’m trying to hold out as long as possible to do a big grocery shop and just buy produce on an as-needed basis.

After I ate, I promptly went back to sleep.  I felt better when I woke up, and had a snack: apples dipped in Honey Oikos.

I’d never had flavored Oikos before, and I loved this one! I was expecting the honey to be blended into the yogurt, but it was a little bit separated and the result was heavenly.  I’m out of coupons, but I think I’m going to have to pick some up anyway.

Ari’s getting ready to go on tour again, so we decided to have a date night.  Unfortunately I left my camera in a different purse (I always forget something when I’m shuffling from bag-to-bag!), and the pictures on Ari’s phone didn’t really turn out. Oh well.

We went to Linn for dinner, where we were promptly served an amuse boûche of seaweed and salmon skin.  Ari didn’t want his, so I happily ate both! I also ordered a cup of hot tea, because I didn’t want to fall asleep at the movie we were going to see.

I started with a bowl of miso soup to ward off any lingering sickness…

I also ordered the tuna salad: tuna sashimi served over mixed greens with peanuts and apricots…

… and a cucumber roll, which was served on the same plate as Ari’s parsley and squash rolls.  I had one of each of his, too… the squash one was pretty good! Very sweet.

We stopped at Coldstone on the way to the movies.   I don’t know why I got ice cream because I wasn’t very hungry and I’m pretty sick of ice cream, but oh well.  This was a small cup of sinless sweet cream with peanut butter and chocolate chips.

As the title suggests, we went to see Julie & Julia.  It’s strange it’s taken us so long to see it… Ari said he wanted to “watch [me] watch it” because he knew how happy I would be during the film.  He was right! I absolutely loved it.  I’m in the middle of reading My Life In France right now (which I have a First Edition copy of… muahahaha), and while I didn’t want the movie to spoil the book for me, I thought it was absolutely necessary to see it on the big screen.  It’s gotten a lot of criticism in terms of the “Julie” part of the story, and my grandmother thought Meryl Streep “overdid” Julia’s idiosyncrasies a bit. However, the whole time I was watching the film I wanted to 1) be back in France, and 2) cook 524 recipes in 365 days.  The fact that Julie was a food blogger also made me very happy.

After the film, we met up with Ari’s sister for a glass of wine.  When we came home, we ate an entire bag of  baby carrots in bed and watched In Treatment.  Oof.

I’m planning on going to a 60-minute Vinyasa Flow class at noon, and then will be spending my evening working in the restaurant.  What are you up to today? Enjoy it!

Makes 1.5 servings

• 3 oz spinach fettuccine
• 1/2 of a 5 oz can whole clams in clam juice
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 lemon
• grape tomatoes, as many as desired
• 1 tsp (or to taste) crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large, salted & oiled pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: heat pan, add a splash of oil, and cook garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  Add a little clam juice and all of the lemon juice.  And clams and red pepper and raise heat, stirring constantly once bubbles begin to form.  Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium low. Clams should be heated through and the tomato skins should be starting to shrivel. Remove from heat. Drain pasta and add directly to pan with reserved sauce.  Toss with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

I also had a few leaves of steamed kale:

Some GIANT carrots and cukes:

It was a very green dinner. A little too green, actually; I didn’t end up finishing the cucumbers.  Just too much!

I washed everything down with a little kale water…

… and ate, at the foot of the [unmade] bed, while I got some work done.

For dessert, I had my usual plate: dried fruit, almond butter, and two squares of Israeli chocolate.

The chocolate was made with Pop Rocks, and left my mouth pop!-ing all night! I loved it.

During one of my shifts last week, I shared the new Tropical Fruit Tart Larabar with some of the waiters.

Philip’s take: Mmm! Tastes like a Piña Colada.

Cornelius’ take: Not extremely sweet, and I like that.

Blerta’s take: Sour. It’s got a weird taste.

My Pros: Definite coconut taste, which I’ve been loving recently.

My Cons: It has 7g of saturated fat, which I don’t love.  The orange flavor is also a little too strong for me, and reminded me a bit of cleaning products.

Would I buy this again? Probably not. I prefer the more subtle Lara flavors.

Thanks again, Larabar!

Have a great Tuesday, guys.  And in case I don’t see you: good afternoon, good evening and good night

Thanks to all of you who gave me mid-work snack suggestions! Here are some of your ideas:

• Nutrition / granola bars
• Veggie crudité with nut butter
• String cheese
• Kashi Go Lean w/ almonds & raisins
• Trail mix
• Oatmeal
• Annie’s Mac & Cheese
• Peanut butter crackers
• Fruit leather
• Applesauce
• Sliced apple w/ extra sharp cheddar
• 1/2 avocado w/ lemon wedge (I might try to keep this one in the fridge!)

I don’t have to work again until Sunday, so I have some time to get my snack’ums together. Thanks again for the tips!

Yesterday morning we slept late-ish (bed at 2 will do that to ya!) and went to the diner for breakfast.  Coffee abounded.

I got an egg white omelet with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and feta.  I held off on the potatoes.

There was some funkiness going on with my toast.  I ordered it dry (a rarity!), but if you look closely, you can see that the bottom half (the top half, in the picture) has been chopped off! This half-toast business was a little half-cocked, eh?

I modeled my new sweater over breakfast;  Ari’s mom made it for me as a graduation present.  You can’t really tell in this photo, but it’s made with beautiful multi-colored ribbon yarn.  Homemade gifts are so special, especially when they’re something I’ll actually wear!

After I devoured finished my eggs in a lady-like fashion, I headed into the city to go to the gym.  The subway was all messed up and I ended up waiting for my train for almost half an hour.  I had to shorten my workout, so I pushed myself extra hard with the time I did have.  I used the speed training function on the Stairmaster and worked it out on a higher level than I usually do.  It was really hard, and there were a few minutes when I thought my heart might leap out of my chest, but I felt great after 20 minutes! I also did some arm machines (which might not be the best thing to do before an 8-hour wait shift…) and abs.

Total time: 47:22 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 201

Average heart rate: 160

Calories burned: 465

I realized once I’d already left the house that I’d forgotten to bring my corn soup . I went to Whole Foods and picked up a small bowl of cold cucumber mango soup and a hummus, sprout & cucumber “petite sandwich.”

The soup was good… it was made with a lot of curry and would probably have been really good poured over veggies, rice and tofu.  The sandwich was eh… I couldn’t taste the hummus at all.  But… can’t beat the $1.99 price tag!

At work, I had a skim cappuccino (and no, I won’t be quitting my day job to pursue art):

I got really lucky with dinner, and it was so pretty that I ran upstairs to grab my camera to take a picture for you.

My favorite chef was working and made me my favorite salad: mixed greens with beets, tomatoes, oranges and candied walnuts in a balsamic vinaigrette.  We were serving a scallop special, so Ramon fried some up and plopped them on.  (I would prefer they not be fried, but beggars can’t be choosers.)

So here’s where the wrath starts.  Most people who know me, physically or virtually, will agree that I’m pretty nice, and am usually a very calm and rational person.  It takes a lot to “push my buttons,” or rather, it takes a lot for me to show that I’m upset about something. Well.  Last night, I went out with a friend after work for a quick drink.  As soon as we walked into the bar, one in a group of middle-aged men made a really nasty and degrading comment about me, and didn’t even attempt to saw it quietly.  Without thinking, I called him out on it, but because I did it calmly (and had the upper hand by being sober and articulate), I think I shamed him. I hope I did.  Ari wanted to go in and say something to them when he picked me up, but I just wanted to let it go… but 12 hours later, I’m still fuming! GRR.

This morning I was craving cereal carbs.  I made a big bowl of Basic 4 and topped it with a fresh nectarine (my first of the season) and skim milk. Parfait!

It’s now time, at the late hour of 1:15, to start the day.  We’re going to try to go to Hot Power Fusion Yoga: A powerful blend of the healing postures of Hot Yoga with the strengthening flow of Heated Vinyasa. Each of the 26 postures in the Hot Power Fusion series is intended to prepare students for the next posture. This class balances the entire body by strengthening, opening and flushing all the anatomical systems. The set sequence is thoughtfully designed for all levels and with continued practice promises to become a moving meditation. The postures have no end nor does the perfect, ultimate posture exist. Hot Power Fusion is a yoga practice students can evolve and enjoy throughout their lifetime.

Sounds promising! Have a great day