Here’s a quick re-cap of the weekend chez with Mom & Pop LVP, Do/Don’t style!

DO make Eggs In A Basket out of an open-face grilled cheese sandwich.  Thanks for the idea, Kaytee!

DO enjoy pumpkin whole wheat pancakes on a frosty fall morning.  The secret to their fluffiness? A little bit of vinegar.

DO support your local farmers and buy apples at the orchard…

…and while there, DO pick up an apple cider donut for your mama.

It will make her happy.

DO top your salads with Red Ants On A Log (celery with Sunbutter and dried cherries).

DON’T feel silly when you squeal with delight after finding holiday teas at your local food co-op, after searching every chain grocery store with no luck.

DON’T gloat about winning some fancy protein powder from your neighborhood Everythingtarian.

DO share Holly‘s pumpkin molasses cookies with those who gave you life… albeit grudgingly.

DO cozy up to a mug of Spiced POM Cider…

DO have a nice dinner at Church and Main, a sustainable restaurant that supports local farmers and uses only the freshest ingredients (and DO go home and watch Food, Inc. afterward).

DO drink local Riesling…

…eat wedges of bread…

DO share two appetizers with Daddy-O to maximize tastings, like these bay scallops with parsley pesto over cappelllini...

… and this spinach and arugula salad with candied almonds, parmesan and goat cheese.

DO have the pan-roasted Atlantic monk fish with creamy white beans, celery root, warm baby winter greens & roasted beets for yourslef.

DO share three desserts (warm chocolate cake with caramel sauce, gingerbread crème brulée, semolina cake with roasted apples).

And, in case you were wondering, this is a salsify root:

…this is a celery root:

… and this is a turnip.  DON’T worry, these aren’t sea creatures!

Do warm up for your first 6 mile run since your injury with Yoga For Runners.

DO give your knees a break and run on a track.

DO utilize the Lap function on your heart rate monitor; DON’T feel bad for taking a year to notice it.

Total distance: 6 miles
Total time: 59:54

Mile 1: 9:49
Mile 2: 9:57
Mile 3: 10:07
Mile 4: 10:14
Mile 5: 10:03
Mile 6: 9:41

Average Pace: 9:58

DO refuel with a bowl of apple cinnamon raisin oatmeal.  Microwave a diced apple, sprinkled with cinnamon, for 90 seconds. Insta-baked apple.

DO enjoy an end-of weekend bowl of Marcella Hazan’s Spinach and Rice Soup.

DO buy packaged falafel based on the brand name alone.

And most importantly, DO take advantage of your boyfriend’s absence to load up on things like Garlic Lovers Hummus and raw onion.

For an added bonus for body and soul, DO a free Lunar Flow practice before bed, with your eyes closed and the lights off.  You’ll thank yourself.

What are your most recent DOs and DON’Ts?

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 I’d planned to do another- my second- 6.4 mile run.  I fueled up with a piece of peanut butter-topped butternut squash banana bread.

I was still really stiff from the 30/60/90 class, so I warmed up with Yoga For Runners.  With loose mussels, I laced up and stuffed the Hammer Gel my dad gave to me into the tiny pocket of my running shorts for mid-run fuel.

Do you bring energy snacks for long workouts?

I ran to the same soundtrack I used on my first 6.4 miler… I’m a little superstitious about things like that. I didn’t have a problem with stitches until I was about 30 minutes into the run, but it wasn’t so bothersome.  It got really bad during the last 1/2 mile, but since I could literally see my house I pushed myself through it.  Erin gave me some great suggestions about belly-breathing, but I don’t seem to be able to puff out my stomach while inhaling! When I try, I sort of default into a double-inhale-gasp thing.  Overall, the run was a success.  I had to stop more than usual for traffic (which is a good thing, since I forgot to wear my RoadID), but now that I’ve done it twice I know that the first time wasn’t just a fluke!  It’s very exciting for me

Total distance: 6.4 miles

Total time: 1:09:53

Maximum heart rate: 184 (92%)

Average heart rate: 171 (86%)

Calories burned: 773

I soaked some steel-cut oats in the fridge on Wednesday night, so when I came back from the run I dove into them.

Steel-cut oats expand a LOT; I had 1/2 cup of soaked oats with Greek yogurt, a banana, and cinnamon.

When stirred, they turn in to a sweet, tangy and delicious mess.

Paula made a return around lunchtime, when I enjoyed a bowl of leftover lentil soup.

I also gobbled up the last of my mom’s brown sugar Brussels sprouts.  I LOVE Fall produce!

I packed up the last of my chunks of energy to snack on during my last wait shift ever (I hope).

I left a little early so that I could make two important stops.

Stop #1: Sephora!  Ladies (and gentlemen), if you are not yet apart of the Beauty Insider Club, what are you waiting for?!  I am not in any way affiliated with Sephora, but this perks club is the best. You get great online discounts, free goodies every time you earn a certain number of points, and birthday presents!

My birthday is still a week away, but they let me pick up it up early.  Pretty sweet, hmm? I also took advantage of being in the store to play around with the makeup a little bit… killing time at Sephora is one of my favorite things to do.  I can experiment in really silly ways without having to commit to actually buying a product (although I do that too, from time to time).  ALSO, if you want to try out any of their skincare items, just ask! They’ll make you a nice little to-go sample.

Stop #2: Liquiteria for some Grasshopper Juice (pineapple, pear, apple, wheatgrass & mint).  This is definitely not cheap, but it was my gift to myself for my last day of work.  And lordy lord, is it tasty!

Before I went into work I decided that I was going to make this day one of my best.  I was going to have fun, enjoy the company of my co-workers, and not let any restaurant stress get in the way.  Behold the power of positive thinking…. It worked!  I left on a very good note.

My dad came in for dinner, and after Judy joined him I got off early and we all went out to ice cream.  I think I’ve successfully hooked them all on Stögo! From left to right:

Judy’s: Coconut Vanilla Bean/ Coconut Strawberry; Dad’s: Banana’s Foster/ Chocolate Hazelnut; Mine: Bananas Foster.

Now that I know how to make ice cream, Bananas Foster should be a cinch! This is made with banana “ice cream”, cinnamon, rum and caramel.

On the ride home, I dug into dinner (for some reason whenever I go to Stögo, I eat dessert first!).  For my last meal, Ramón had hidden some of the scallops from our dinner special under my salad.  He is so sweet.

I came home to an adorable goodie kit from April at Sweet Leaf Tea.  I can’t wait to try out their different flavors! And I’m sure Ari can’t wait to try out those guitar pics

I slept hard last night, and now I’m off to the gym.  What are your weekend plans? I’m looking forward to catching up with a lot of my best friends!

Have a great Friday

Edited to add: Congratulations to my friends Shannon and Fredo, who welcomed baby Lucia into the world yesterday afternoon!!!

I decided on a hot breakfast this morning, and oats were just the thing. I incorporated some of my nut meat into the bowl, and it was terrific! It’s a little sweet, and went perfectly with the salty peanut butter.

• 1/2 cup oats (made w/ water)
• 1/2 banana
• 1 nectarine
• cinnamon
• 1 scoop almond nut meat
• 1 scoop chunky peanut butter

I ran a lot of errands for my internship today, and on one of the four trips to the post office I picked up an iced coffee to keep me going through the humidity.

My boss let me leave at lunchtime, so I took my food to the park and enjoyed a leisurely meal.  I’d made Heidi Swanson‘s Giant Black Bean Salad:

Really delicious! I didn’t have time to blend the jalepeño dressing this morning, but it tasted just fine.

I also had a Musselman’s Key Lime Cupaçao applesauce and a Banana Nut Vitatop:

Deliciously filling lunch! I’m glad I brought it to work instead of spending money to eat out.

I was right by the gym, but my tum wasn’t quite ready to work out.  I sat in the locker room and read my magazine for a while… probably looked a little odd, but that’s okay   I was pretty zonked and only did 20 minutes on the stairs and a few weight machines. Better than nothing!

I took advantage of my time in the locker room to do some Operation Beautiful work…

… then rehydrated with some coconut water.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I went straight to my mom’s office with good intentions of getting work done, but… she found me 45 minutes later, napping on the couch. Whoops.  When I woke up, I snacked on some Oh Nuts sunflower seeds:

I never was a huge seed-girl, but these were pretty good.  I’ve noticed my taste buds changing recently… for example, I’ve been craving a lot of coconut, salty and fruity things. Normally, I’d have just gone straight for the chocolate.  Strange.

My mom and I met my dad for dinner at one of our favorite Vietnamese restaurants, Nam.  We split everything:

Shrimp dumplings wrapped in banana leaves

Unwrapped, they look like this…

Grilled prawns wrapped in rice paper with cucumber, basil & peanut sauce

Steamed mushroom ravioli

Crispy red snapper in chili lime sauce

Grilled shrimp and scallops with vegetables in a lime basil sauce

Warm banana bread with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and taosted coconut

We get that dessert every time… it’s amazing, like a mix between banana bread pudding and rum raisin ice cream. Mmm!  It was a lot of food, but it was so, so good.

When I got home, I was still feeling munchy, so I had one of the apples my dad brought me from the Farmer’s Market.

*Upwelling update: Thanks to each and every lovely fan out there, the boys have sold out Amazon, Barnes & Noble and J&R in New York, and I still have not been able to pick up a copy! You can still order it on iTunes, reserve a copy on Amazon, or you can order the album directly from their label, which I just did to ensure the giveaway winners get their copies!  I’ll announce the winners of the contest tomorrow morning.

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

Last night, there was a cruise.

And there was booze. (Lunchbox: Miller’s Genuine Draft + amaretto + orange juice.)  And Little Caesar’s pizza at midnight.  But it was fun, in a weird time-warpy kind of way… it kind of felt like a high school reunion at the Marriot (see Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion) on water.

This morning, somehow (woke up at 4, chugged water and swallowed a couple ibuprofen), I woke up before 8 to get to the gym before our graduation rehearsal.  I had half a banana before I left:

I only had about 40 minutes to work out, so I just did 10 minutes on the stairs, arms, and a mile on the treadmill.

Total time: 35:44 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 185 (93%)

Average heart rate: 141  (71%)

Calories burned: 281

I gobbled down some Greek yogurt and an orange on the way to get our Senior class photo taken.  Let me just say that 10 AM is VERY early the night after the boat trip.  You get the picture.

After the rehearsal, I went with some of my friends to Coffee News and got a skim au lait with a shot of espresso. It was sweet relief.

My parents got into town just in time for lunch today.  They were on different flights at different airports, and by the time my dad and I met up with my mom I was really hungry and starting to get cranky. We ended up just going to the Houlihan’s in the airport that was right before the security checkpoint.

My mom and I immediately ordered coffee.  I drank it black, but it tasted a little sour!

I had two eggs over hard, sourdough toast with grape jelly (:-) ), mixed greens with pear and jicama, and fruit salad.  Not bad!

We were a happy little brunch bunch.

Dinner tonight was really special.  About nine of us went to Heidi’s, which has quickly become my favorite restaurant in Minneapolis. Getting there was a bit of a challenge… my GPS (“Victoria”) didn’t register a highway detour and I have a terrible sense of direction (to say the least) so we ended up being late.  I was also wearing wedge heels, but I couldn’t differentiate between gas and break pedals while wearing them so I drove barefoot instead.  This was mildly terrifying, and I had white knuckles the whole time! (I changed to sneaker’s for my drive home… wise choice.) Somehow, we all got there injury-free…

I started with a delicious glass of Alvarinho Trajadura, which I took two hours to savor.

We ordered some special olive oil (which is apparently only licensed to five restaurants in the country) to go with the bread.

We all started with the chef’s special amuse-bouche: a salmon spring roll in a vietnamese dipping sauce.  This was so, so good.  There were so many different tastes going on here: sweet and spicy, curry and ginger.

My mom and I split two appetizers: the Smoked Rhode Island diver scallops on a garlic palette with mustard seed vinaigrette (just as good as I remembered them being):

… and the Beet salad with yuzu, endive, cucumber and soy caramel dressing. This is such a unique dish; the dressing on its own would be a fabulous sandwich spread.

For my entrée, I stuck with my grandfather’s rule to “always order the special.” The sautéed Pacific halibut on an eggplant pancake, with a shiitake coconut sauce and a drizzle of cilantro oil was  unbelievable.  The “pancake” was light and fluffy, almost like a mousse.  I ate about 2/3.

We got a side of cauliflower fritters with cheddar sauce for the table.  I enjoyed one; they tasted like “New America’s” take on tempura.

My dad and I decided to split two desserts since neither of us could decide on just one.  We ordered the lemongrass coconut tapioca with cacao nibs and candied orange:

And the “Supreme Salad.”

This didn’t end up being what we thought it would be (exotic fruit salad); Ari would have had a fit because it was covered in “white and creamy” sauce.  We scraped most of it off, but even then the dish was so sweet that I could only eat a bite.

I ended up just eating my half of the tapioca, which was very light and hardly sweeteed.  The cacao nibs were such an interesting addition!

We ended up stretching dinner out for three hours.  I savored everything, ate what I wanted, and for didn’t leave feeling too full or bloated.  It was a truly perfect meal, made all the more memorable by the company it was shared with.

When I got home, Jalene and I decided to have some of my celebration wine.  I’ve been sipping on it for over an hour, though… I guess I’m a little beverage-ed out.

Time to go pass out get in my PJs and finish my book.  It has been a very long day, and tomorrow I have to do the bulk of my packing… more family is coming tomorrow night and I want to be able to spend time with them instead of breaking down boxes and sweeping dust bunnies.  I’m a little behind on the blogs, but I’ll catch up soon, I promise… I’m thinking about you!

Night

Anyway, before I left to meet my grandparents, I had a date stuffed with almond butter.

Everywhere was packed for lunch, so we went to Macaroni Grill. The only thing I’d heard about the restaurant was that they had singing wait staff, but luckily that wasn’t the case, and I was pleasantly surprised.

I got an iced coffee, my staple spring drink. It wasn’t too strong, so I didn’t end up needing the milk.

They brought out some garlic bread for the table. It was on the oily side, but still tasted pretty good.

For my entrée, I got seared scallops. They were supposed to come with arugula, but spinach was just as good. It also had toasted walnuts, cabbage, onions, and feta.

I asked for the dressing on the side, but it still came coated in some kind of sauce (in addition to two side dressings). I ate about 3/4… despite the oddities of the order, it was very good.

While driving home, I started craving frosted cake. Cookies, chocolate, brownies… these are all things I usually want, but cake cravings are a rarity! The only place I could think of to buy it was Whole Foods, so I sped (safely) there like a girl on a mission. I picked out the “Hokey Pokey” cake, which had two layers of chocolate cake and a layer of buttercream/marshmallow, covered in chocolate fondant.

At the register, the clerk (who I for some reason don’t know by name, even though I go several times a month and went today for my third time in a week) asked if I was just getting the cake. I sighed and said, “Yeah, it’s one of those days…” and he smiled and said, “It is one of those days! It’s a holiday!” That made me feel better about being lonely on Easter, for some reason. Let there be cake!

I ate half of it (and yes, the photo was taken in the parking lot… I had to make sure it was good!) and saved the rest for after dinner.

Cooking for one can be tricky. Often I make too much (and occasionally too little) of something and end up in a frenzy trying to finish things before they go bad, or worse: spoiled food. Last week, industrious girl that I am, I made a big batch of rice to last me the week. Unfortunately, “big” ended up being more than 8 cups… which I could never finish on my own! I’ve been trying to find new and interesting ways to incorporate it, and other leftover items, in my fridge so that I don’t waste but also don’t end up with a bored palate. And so…

Dinner tonight was based on this recipe from the May 2009 issue of Gourmet.

Springtime Shrimp, Asparagus and Lemon Risotto

Serves 3

1 cup vegetable broth

1-1/2 cups asparagus

1/2 onion

1 tbsp butter

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups cooked brown rice

1/8 cup dry white wine

1 cup frozen shrimp, tails removed (you can do this by soaking the shrimp in cold water and then pulling off the tails)

1/8 cup parmesan, grated

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (cilantro/parsley/chives); I used cilantro

Salt & pepper to taste

Simmer asparagus in vegetable broth about 4 minutes, until just tender. Remove asparagus from broth with slotted spoon and transfer to ice water to stop cooking, and drain. Keep broth at very low simmer.

Heat butter, salt and onion in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir constantly, about 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly.

Add broth, a small bit at a time, stirring constantly over a simmer, until you’ve used about half. Stir in shrimp and simmer until they are cooked through.

Stir in asparagus, lemon juice, herbs and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Optional: garnish with additional cheese & cilantro.

Dessert was the second half of my Hokey Pokey cake.

I’m pretty full now, but it’s nice to be done with dinner and blogging early so I can get a few solid hours in (hopefully) before I conk out for the night.

Just in case you need more sugar: head on over to Nicole’s blog for a chance to win Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World! I’ve wanted this cookbook for so long.

Hope you’ve enjoyed your holiday!