Well, we are now back from a truly perfect weekend.  It was just what I needed to relax [...]]]> I don’t know what is going on with the formatting… all of the text is aligning to the right of my photos and I can’t change it.  If you’ve had this problem, I’d appreciate your help!

Well, we are now back from a truly perfect weekend.  It was just what I needed to relax and recharge my batteries!  I hope you enjoyed yours as well.

On Friday night, we piled into the car and headed to Southampton.

When we got there, we had no obligations other than to read cozily in front of the fire.

Although it’s been 10 years since I’ve ordered a BLT at the Sip ‘n Soda, I finally discovered a solution: veggie cheeseburger-topped salad!

With a healthy side of onion rings, of course

It rained all weekend, so we decided it was perfect movie-watching weather and went to see Brooklyn’s Finest.  It’s really good, but very brutal- kind of like Training Day, part II, set in New York instead of LA.

After the movie, we grabbed comforting bowls of bottomless pasta at La Parmigiana.  This fettuccine with calamari is my new favorite.

No meal at the Parm is complete without salad and their famous dressing… it’s the only “Italian-style” dressing I’ve ever liked.

I found this clipping in Health magazine, and have been rolling out my ITB every day for a few minutes.  I really need to keep this habit up, and continue start doing more strengthening moves for my hips and legs.

After fueling up with the world’s most addicting bread (also known as Bob’s Red Mill Irish Soda Bread) and warming up to Yoga for Runners and swallowing an Aleve, I head outside to see how my legs were feeling.

My knee started to hurt after a mile, but I pushed through and ran five.  When I got home I used the foam roller on my ITB and stretched, and although my knee was still a little sore (and will probably be today as well), it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Whatever happens next Sunday, I’m going to have fun!

I restored my energy with a mug of hot chocolate, a big salad and a book.  Hit the spot!

Some of you asked why chocolate milk and hot chocolate is a good recovery drink for endurance athletes.  “Compared to plain milk, water, or most sports drinks, it has double the carbohydrate and protein content, perfect for replenishing tired muscles. Its high water content replaces fluids lost as sweat, preventing dehydration. Plus it packs a nutritional bonus of calcium, and includes just a little sodium and sugar — additives that help recovering athletes retain water and regain energy,” says Fitness magazine.   Pour me another, please!

When we got home, I unpacked, made myself a delicious dinner (grilled salmon marinated in lime juice, agave, olive oil & mustard, steamed broccoli and Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains blend) and watched Up In The Air. I didn’t have time to see all of the movies I wanted to this season, so I added them to my Netflix queue instead!

Well, I’m off to get the work week started.  Today I feel rested and ready for it!  Have a great Monday

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

On Monday night I channeled my inner Betty Crocker and baked Elana’s Gluten-Free Rye Bread with Flax.  I first discovered Elana’s [...]]]> It’s funny: right after I declare myself a morning person, I have had the hardest time getting up these past two mornings! It also seems that I’ll be blogging in the AM occasionally.

On Monday night I channeled my inner Betty Crocker and baked Elana’s Gluten-Free Rye Bread with Flax.  I first discovered Elana’s Pantry a year ago when I was  looking for vegan chocolate recipes to make for my Blogger Secret Valentine.  The candy turned out really well- a lot of it involves almond butter, check it out!- and I’ve been a devoted fan ever since.

I’ve never made bread with almond flour before and I was expecting it to be dense and heavy but this was light, fluffy and was the best rye bread I’ve ever had.

Part of the reason I had a hard time getting up yesterday (and today as well, for that matter) was that it was pouring.  I was never very good at science, but I know that barometric pressure can really throw you off! I didn’t have time to log my two mile run at the gym, and in fact didn’t even have time to dry my hair.  Definitely ponytail weather!

For breakfast I had a bowl of yogurt with 0% Fage, a banana, and a scoop of Maranatha Cashew Butter; I also had a slice of rye bread with Smart Beat and honey.  I love eating breakfast in two parts!

I had a meeting during lunch yesterday so I made sure to eat both of my morning snacks (orange + apple) before.

Lunch, at 2, was leftover Soba w/ Grilled Shrimp atop a bed of spinach and carrots; I also had a mixed berry yogurt.

Late in the afternoon I snacked on a Hickory Smoked Primal Strip.

After work I met my friend Ilena at the movies to see Shutter Island. We’ve been planning this forever, and it did not disappoint!  I LOVE twisty thrillers.  Ilena and I always see scary movies together; speaking of being 15, when The Ring came out and we were in tenth grade, Ilena and I went to see it on Halloween.  It was great, but scared the you-know-what out of me.  I had to spend the night on my parents’ bedroom floor! Fifteen is a little old for that, right? Apparently not!

I didn’t get home until after 9, so I made the quickest meal possible: sweet potato w/ cinnamon, agave & maca, rye bread w/ Smart Beat & honey, sauerkraut, and a Sunshine Falafel burger with hummus.  It was a pretty brown dinner!

The falafel burgers were a little disappointing.  I was expecting them to be amazing since I’ve heard such great things; just not as good as the real thing.  It was pretty dry, and needed something… lemon? I guess I’ll just have to get a “real” falafel soon!

Well, off to get ready for work.  It’s still raining, and everything still feels a little off.  Hopefully I’ll have time to dry my hair this time! Have a great day

This morning I woke up a little hazy from last night’s escapades, but made do with a strong pot of coffee and a good breakfast. I ate in parts: Peach Chobani Greek [...]]]> What a good day.  I slept in, saw friends, ate well… what could be better? More hours in the day, but alas.

This morning I woke up a little hazy from last night’s escapades, but made do with a strong pot of coffee and a good breakfast. I ate in parts: Peach Chobani Greek yogurt, sweet potato cranberry coconut muffin, Honeybell orange.

After taking my sweet time getting ready and lazing around, I met Caitlin for lunch at Sacred Chow, an organic vegan (and Kosher) cafe downton.

We both got the Souper Hero Combo (soup + 1/2 sandwich); I got a bowl of Sweet Potato and Cassava Soup with dill and Orange Blackstrap Seitan (orange-molasses seitan w/ red-hot onions and Thai ginger bbq sauce on a whole wheat baguette).

This was so good.  My babysitter used to use cassava in her soups and I forgot how much I love it! The sandwich was quite hearty as well, and left my mouth burning (in a good way!).

We also hit up the In God We Trust sample sale, where I fell in love with this beret.  I’ve never been a “beret person”, but this was too cute to pass up!

Caitlin and I parted ways, and I met my friend Levi to see the new Mel Gibson movie, Edge of Darkness.  I really liked it! It reminded me a lot of Michael Clayton, with more blood.  We snacked on gummies in the theater.

I had big plans to do some work while using the bike at the gym, but it was 7:15 by the time I got home and I was just ready to wind down the day.  No biggie, but I really need to start being smarter about cross and strength training… I feel like I’ve taken a sort of lackadaisical approach to this half-marathon I’m supposedly training for. I have a 7 mile run scheduled for tomorrow but my knee still hurts from Thursday’s… if it gives me trouble in the morning, I’m just going to run myself over to the gym and get on that bike instead.

So, in place of gym tales, I present you with a tasty treat:

Sweet Potato Falafel Salad

I’ve been thinking of ways to recreated One Lucky Duck’s Falafel Salad at home without a dehydrator or pricey ingredients.  I’d planned on making a sweet potato version of baked falafel with chickpeas, but lo and behold: no chickpeas in the pantry! I made do with black beans instead, and it turned out mighty fine if I do say so myself.

Sweet Potato “Falafel”

Inspired by this recipe

• 1 handful parsley or cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 sweet potato baked or microwaved until fully cooked, mashed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• salt
• garnishes: paprika, sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix first 6 ingredients together, gently mashing beans with a fork.  Season with salt, to taste.

Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.  Form balls out of 1 tbsp worth of sweet potato mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds and paprika. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once.

Makes about 12 balls.

Tahini Sauce

• 1/2 cup sesame tahini
• 1/2 cup water
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• salt to taste

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Lick spoon.

Raw “Tabouli”

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/3 head of cauliflower (about 2 handfuls)
• 1 handful parsley/cilantro

Pulse cauliflower in food processor until finely chopped. Pulse in red pepper. Pulse in parsley until the mixture resembles confetti.

Not a bad alternative, I’d say! My version is on the left… and doesn’t cost $17.

For dessert, I made strawberry banana soft serve with chocolate chips.  However, I got a little impatient and didn’t wait for the fruit to fully freeze; it ended up being more of a smoothie!

It’s 10:30, but I really want to get some work done before I go to bed, so I’m going to shower, make the bed, and read 100 pages or so.  Big plans for a Saturday night at home!

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

On Christmas morning, we headed into the living room to open presents, drink [...]]]> Another Christmas has come and gone, but for the first time that I can remember, I’m not experiencing that “let down” feeling one day, even two days after that’s similar to what I felt my first day home from sleepaway camp.

On Christmas morning, we headed into the living room to open presents, drink tea and coffee, and chat.

I was completely shocked to open a package and find…

the new Canon PowerShot s90!  I’d been debating on whether I wanted to get an SLR or a smaller camera; I wanted an SLR for the quality, but didn’t want the hassle of carrying around another bag all the time.  Well, this camera has the quality of the SLR, and it automatically adjusts to the appropriate setting, be it portrait or macro.

Eager to try out my new toy, I wasted no time by snapping photos of our special Christmas-morning breakfast: banana pancakes!

I wanted some protein…

…so I topped my three pancakes with plain Oikos Greek yogurt and real maple syrup.

It was quite a festive morning.

We hung around the house for a little while (Ari read me the first 20 pages of the camera manual), then headed out to the movie theater to see Sherlock Holmes.  We always see movies on Christmas Day, and tend to go to the big blockbusters.  The rest of New York City seemed to have the same idea as us; the line was so long it snaked up three flights of stairs!  Luckily, my parents got there early and were in the front of the line.  We tease my mom for wanting to get to movies, restaurants, and airports early, but sometimes she’s right

Meanwhile, Ari and I stopped at a deli to get lunch.

My spinach salad had beets, mandarin oranges, carrots, curried shrimp cucumbers, blue cheese and honey mustard dressing on the side.

We also snacked on chestnuts my dad had roasted in the morning…

… and sneaked some homemade, unbuttered (but generously salted!) popcorn in… all of a sudden, I can’t get enough salty snacks!

The movie was really good (as was the eye candy); although I fell asleep for the first hour.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me- you really can’t take me anywhere! The theater was pretty warm, though.  It was pouring rain when we left the theater, so we hurried home to leftovers and a warm apartment.

We had pumpkin/sweet potato/coconut soup…

… pasta using slow-roasted tomatoes for sauce (delicious)…

… and a palate-cleansing fennel-and-navel-orange salad.

We gobbled up the last of the bûche de Noël for dessert, of course!

The magic of the holidays doesn’t seem to be dissipating, no matter how old I get or how “adult” my life may seem to be.  It’s not about gifts or fancy dinners, but a time to share with my family and those I love.

I hope you had a happy, healthy and safe holiday.  Until next year…

Read about last year’s Christmas at the LVP household!

There are few things more exciting and anticipatory for me than Christmas morning… I hope that feeling never goes away! Everyone else is still sleeping, and, “as giddy as a schoolboy,” I am up and ready to bring on the holiday! But I’ll be a nice daughter and girlfriend [...]]]>

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

There are few things more exciting and anticipatory for me than Christmas morning… I hope that feeling never goes away! Everyone else is still sleeping, and, “as giddy as a schoolboy,” I am up and ready to bring on the holiday! But I’ll be a nice daughter and girlfriend and can wait a little bit longer. Let me tell you about Christmas Eve!

I had the best of intentions yesterday… I really was planning to go to the gym before work. I even made breakfast the night before to take with me and eat at the office! Jim really is the best of all portable breakfasts.

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 packet Tera’s Whey Bourbon Vanilla protein powder (I think this made my cookie fluffier than usual)
• 1 banana
• 1 scoop Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter
• 2 T skim milk
• toppings: prunes, goji berries, cinnamon

This was a winning combination. The sweet spicy peanut butter was excellent, and the goji berries plumped up over night and were soft and chewy, not hard and gummy as they usually are on their own.

Anyway, as you’ve probably guessed by now, I didn’t make it to the gym. I just snoozed, and snoozed… and snoozed! I ended up getting up an hour later than I do on regular days! Good thing I packed my breakfast. At work, I also snacked on an apple. (Skirt by J.Crew, tights by Trina Turk for hue.)

We had an early close at the office, so my mom met me and we went to Le Pain Quotidien for lunch.

I wanted something hot, so I got a small soy chai to warm up. It needed the teensiest bit of extra sugar.

For my entrée, I ordered the Organic Tofu Salad with nori, mixed greens, and three savory dressings. It also came with organic bread.

We split a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert… it was Christmas Eve, after all! (I’m not a huge fan of this kind of pie crust, so I cut it off. This can also save you about 100 calories, if you are so inclined.)

New York is in full Christmas swing right now.

We stumbled on a holiday crafts fair on our walk home!

I was very excited to find a stall selling Fine & Raw chocolate.

After chatting with the self-described “Fine & Raw elf”, we knew we had to try some raw hot chocolate.

We split a small cup with a “shake” of sea salt… divine. I’ll have to try their chocolate bars sometime!

Finally, we headed home to get started on the festivities!

Ari came over, and we all started on the tree.

I am very picky about who gets to top our tree… Santa always wins!

No tree-trimming party is complete without champagne…

Cheers!

My dad really outdid himself to make a special Christmas Eve dinner for us to enjoy together.

We had a bottle of Joseph Faiveley Mâcon-Villages to complement our meal.

Whenever there’s wine to be opened, Ari has to do it.

This wine key is supposed to be idiot-proof, but I just can’t figure it out! It’s become a bit of a joke.

We started with a pumpkin and sweet potato soup made with a coconut milk base, sweet spices, cilantro and toasted peanuts:

Curried lobster (!), Israeli couscous with cauliflower, and herbed tomatoes he slow-roasted for five hours. It was a fabulous meal.

As per LVP tradition, we closed the meal with bûche de Noël (“yule log”). Ours came from Balthazar; we’ve been getting these for years and years and after careful research are convinced this is the best one.

It’s a chocolate cake with vanilla cream, marzipan, and hints of rum and mocha.

After dinner, we all watched Christmas Vacation. We couldn’t find our copy last year (very sad), but this year was a success. The only Christmas movies Ari had seen are It’s A Wonderful Life and The Santa Clause (one of my favorites), and I think he really liked it! After the movie, we migrated back to the Christmas tree to continue with our Christmas Eve tradition…

… reading The Polar Express aloud together.

Charley tried to read a little, too.

Well, I think it’s time! I’m going to go rally the troops. Have a wonderful day, wherever it finds you. Stay merry