This post is another “greatest [...]]]> Good morning and happy Tuesday! My mom and I landed at JFK at midnight last night after a wonderful trip out West.  Who knew Utah was so beautiful? I can’t wait to get back over to that side of the country.  Yes, that’s your little East Coast girl talking!

This post is another “greatest hits” mix of road fuel and scenery.  Enjoy!

On Sunday morning, we rushed to the post-wedding brunch.  I was surprised by how many people made it there by 9 (including the groom)… there were quite a few shenanigans on the dance floor, from what I hear… I was a grandpa and was in bed by 11

I loaded up my plate with 1/2 toasted bagel with cream cheese, lox, and onions; fresh fruit; two slices of mini quiche (spinach goat & roasted red pepper) that the father-of-the bride baked himself the day of the wedding.  Impressive, no?!

A couple hours later, I munched on a mini carrot/ginger muffin. This was so good! I was never a muffin person, but I think I’ll be whipping up a batch soon.

We left Park City and drove many miles to Moab.

Wind turbines!

Burger King pit stop… I made do with the BK Veggie (1/2 bun), “apple fries” (more expensive than a Whopper… riddle me that), and a side salad sans dressing.

It got very flat…

As we got closer to Moab, the scenery started to change…

Look at those orange cliffs!

We finally arrived at the Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge, which is located right in the heart of Arches National Park.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

We went to a wine tasting that was 100 feet from our hotel at the Castle Creek Winery.  I bought a bottle of Unitah White to bring home and enjoy later.

We had breakfast overlooking Arches National Park. Don’t mind my bedhead… it was a little early.

We stopped at the Peace Tree for road food:

I got a cup of “Triple A” juice with wheatgrass, carrot, apple, beet, celery & parsley.

When we stopped for lunch, I had what George called my “Instant Bathroom Stop” salad: mixed grains, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, quinoa, and (by my special request) curried hummus, with a lemon tahini dressing.

Bathroom or no bathroom, this salad was amazing.  I have figure out how to make that dressing! Does anyone have any good recipes for tahini salad dressing?

Another A+ Mother/Daughter weekend! So far we’ve gone to Philadelphia, Montreal, Halifax, Killington VT, NYC (for a shopping staycation), and now Park City/ Salt Lake City/ Moab, Utah.

I wonder where we’ll go next year?

Yesterday we needed a little something to get us out of bed, and that thing just happened to be… [...]]]> Good afternoon! I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but the City is all doom and gloom today! Around noon it started pouring, and it’s been gray and rainy ever since.  No matter!

Yesterday we needed a little something to get us out of bed, and that thing just happened to be… Dunkin‘ Donuts.  Yes, you read that correctly.

I got the eggwhite garden vegetable flatbread sandwich (which comes with American cheese) and an iced coffee.  It was fine… a little strange because the eggs had clearly been pre-formed into a triangle a long time ago, because the top was completely smooth and dry.  However, it’s a good option when all you have to choose from is fast food (or your boy wants a breakfast sandwich).

I didn’t have enough time to go to the gym, so I went for a quick 2 mile run.

Total time: 23:46 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 197 (99%)

Average heart rate: 146 (73%)

Calories burned: 210

After hosing down (or taking a shower, like a civilized person) I headed into the city for a doctor’s appointment.  On the subway, I snacked on a Granny Smith apple:

After the doctor, on my walk to Union Square, I happened upon a sample station of water. I’d thought this was called “Immunity Water,” but I coudln’t find it online.  Does anyone know what this brand of water is called?

Then, hungrily, I browsed through all of the wonderful stalls at the Union Square Farmer’s Market.

Everything looked great, but I decided to go to Whole Foods for lunch instead.  There, they had another beverage station set up for samples of Mossé.  I had a taste of the cherry flavor, and liked it very much.

I was more in the mood for coconut water, and was so excited when I saw this new flavor: O.N.E.’s Cashew Fruit! (The nutrition facts are available on their website.)

I liked it! It tasted tropical, sort of like a peachy mango.  They have a lot of other interesting flavors, and there are coupons for them in the “Whole Deals” booklets at Whole Foods.

The salad bar was better than usual.

• Farro w/ mint & peas (I want to make this!)
  
• Crunchy sprout salad
• Vegan chicken salad (And this!)
  
• Snow pea and napa cabbage slaw
• Vegan pesto tortellini (1)
• Mexican apple salad w/ mint (And this! Spicy but fantastic.)
  
• Green beans
• Spinach
• Seaweed salad (And this!)

After lunch, I walked over to Trader Joe’s for an overdue grocery shop.

Back in Queens, I bought a couple more things for dinner (mostly fruits & veggies, and the new Larabar flavors).

After unloading all the groceries, I was more than ready for a snack.  I had a bowl of 0% Fage with a peach and 2 tbsp low-fat granola:

Dinner was excellent.  The new Gourmet magazine has a lot of fantastic recipes, but this one came right from the “You Asked For It” column (it was, incidentally, my job to organize these letters when I worked for Gourmet): avocado-strawberry salad with orange vinaigrette.

Who says salads have to be boring?

I halved the recipe to make two servings; I used one avocado, one orange, 1/2 pint of strawberries, and goat cheese.  I added a little tofu to round out the meal, and ta da! Instant summer.

I celebrated Wednesday by having a glass of Italian frizzante that my friend Howard brought me.  It’s a fruity prosecco that’s light and not too sweet, and went perfectly with the salad.

Dessert was the old reliable: dried fruit, dark chocolate, and almond butter.

I spent the rest of the night watching two of my favorite gentlemen duke it out… pretty fabulous Wednesday, if I do say so myself.

I also chopped off my hair again.

Night