Lilveggiepatch » soup

Down the Rabbit Hole

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:24:00 +0000

*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

Ice Ice Baby

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:34:12 +0000

Looks like you guys really want to win some nut butter! Keep the entries coming; you have until tomorrow

Yesterday I was up at the crack of 4:50 to get my booty to the gym and log 7 miles before work. I popped an Aleve and grabbed two Clif Peanut Butter Shot Roks (the company sent these a while back) on the way out the door… I liked them! Not two “protein-y” and just hearty enough to satiate me at 5 AM.

Luckily I was so worried about hurting my knee that I didn’t find myself getting too bored on the treadmill.

Warm-up: 5.8 mph

Mile 2-5.5: 6.4 mph

Mile 5.5-6: 7.5 mph

Mile 6-7: 6.2, 5.8., 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5

Total time: 1:07:55

I dropped my iPod twice while I was running, and the first time after I had to stop and retrieve it and then start up again it really hurt. It was pretty sore on the walk home, too, so while I ate breakfast, I iced.

Breakfast was the first breakfast cookie I’ve had in months!

This was a particularly good one.

1/3 cup oats
1/2 banana
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
splash of skim milk
1 tsp Maranatha No Stir Creamy Peanut Butter
1 tsp chia seeds
toppings: goji berries, cinnamon, Greek yogurt, pumpkin, dried fig, agave

As soon as I got to work, I go an ice pack out of the freezer and kept it on my knee for most of the day.

Despite my long run, breakfast held me over really well! I only needed an orange to hold me until lunch (I ate the apple later in the afternoon).

For lunch I had leftover Chopped Coconut Miso Salad and Everything Pretzel Crisps.

One of our coworkers thought Danielle and I were sisters… I don’t really see the resemblance, do you?

In addition to the apple, I also had a Caramel Chocolate Forze Bar in the afternoon.

After work I went to a networking happy hour (hello, $4 Absolut cocktails!) then came home to a delicious meal grace à Daddy-O: sautéed broccoli rabe, roasted tomatoes, octopus braised in red wine, and brown rice.

I also had a small bowl of mushroom and wild rice soup.

For dessert I had a bowl of Ciao Bella’s Blackberry Cabernet sorbet with chocolate sauce… somehow it was a little camera shy Before I got into bed, I took one of my coworker’s suggestions (she’s run three half-marathons) and took a warm bath, then rolled out both IT Bands and glute muscles. My calves are pretty sore today and I have a feeling my knee isn’t going to be much better. I’m instating a “no running until Sunday” rule.

Off to go walk the pooch and get ready for the day. Have a great weekend!

Cheerleaders

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:05:18 +0000

You guys are officially the best cheerleaders a girl could have. Thank you so much for all of the advice and words of encouragement about my sore knee. One of the things I love about being a food/health+fitness blogger is meeting other like-minded people who have been in similar situations. You’re a wealth of information! I’d like to share some of your comments:

Ada says: Try icing it and definitely see a sports doctor if it doesn’t improve within the next few days since he or she can give you exercises to strengthen it.

Heather says: Pain – I am lucky that I don’t have any long-term injuries, but I think like you said there’s discomfort and pain. I think it’s important not to run through pain and make something worse or do some permanent damage. I ran my second half with hip … discomfort I guess. I ran it because the feeling was not any worse than it was when walking. Probably dumb, but I am okay now. Follow Ada’s advice and rest it for a few days and then see. Three weeks is plenty of time to get all better & strong.

Anna says: Don’t push it!!! It’s not worth risking permanent damage to your knees (and never running again) just for one race. Could you see a doctor about it?

Tinabear says: 1.) how is your form? there should be a distinction between running (smooth strides, fully lifting your feet, landing each step and pushing off with the ball of your foot rather than the middle or heel)and the point where you’re trying to get mileage in. Form is a HUGE part of staying injury free, and if you get to the point where you’re shuffling or dragging to try and get through, STOP.

2.) stay steady: this ties in with #1. i know you’re running from a set plan, but from my experience it’s much better to increase gradually, with fairly consistent mileage. it works SO much better to run 3 miles every day, then maybe 4 or 5 for a long day, than running 2 miles avg. and 6 or 7 for a long day. after a few weeks you should be stronger and able to increase to 4 miles on average, with a 6 or 7 long run. You should be able to run SMOOTHLY during the entire run- when you’re form starts to break, you should slow down, and if that doesn’t work, try to make your shorter runs a little faster to build up endurance.

3.) check the soles of your shoes: if there’s excessive wear on the sides, heel, or anywhere other than where the ball of your foot would rest, then you need to A.) go to a running shoe store and see if they have any advice (some shoes are better for different running types, ex. a stability based shoe for those who overpronate)
B.) work to fix your form- it might be something as simple as lengthening your stride.

4.) Find a physical therapist/someone specifically for running rather than a normal doctor: every single time i’ve met with a normal doctor they’ve either given me textbook advice (stuff you could google) or they’ve given be bad advice (one doctor lengthened a simple injury, another suggested that i give up running for longer than a month, when all i needed was some tape)

5.) AVOID TREADMILLS- these kill form, and the only times i’ve ever been injured it was because of running on treadmills or increasing mileage too quickly.

I kind of hate how much people emphasize distance running as “just getting through” with a large amount of mileage. It’s so much better to gradually build up mileage, racing at distances that suit your current level of running comfort. The point of racing used to be pushing yourself to go faster, not longer…

Melissa says: i had knee pain start only a week before my 1/2 marathon at the end of january and didn’t know what to do. i basically stayed off of it that entire week and took the race at a more leisure pace and if my knee hurt, i would stop. pushing past pain like that is never good and can only lead to longer and even worse problems in the future. i suggest taking some time off, making sure to ice, massage and ice massage (freeze water in dixie cups and use them to massage your knee) and not do any sort of knee bearing exercises. sounds hard and sucks, but it does pay off. i haven’t been running much since my injury and a month later it’s feeling great!

The list goes on. I encourage you to go back and read through the comments if you’re having similar issues with your knees, or just need a little extra support if you’re on the fence and trying to decide whether or not to push it. I know what I need to do: stretch, ice, rest, strength train. Seriously, I don’t know how I got out of the habit of doing this last one, especially after all of the hours I logged at the physical therapist’s! There are many exercises (including the Clam Shells that Leslie highlighted) that I can do while lying in bed, so I WILL DO THEM.

Thanks again… you really are the best

Yesterday I found a new brand of pumpkin in the store. It tastes just like Libby’s, but is slightly cheaper at $2.19/28 oz. I do like a good bargain!

This morning I made a big, belly-busting batch of oatmeal.

For work, I packed an orange, apple, strawberry yogurt, and leftover stew.

I also had a Thai Peanut Primal Strip…

… and an Apple Clif C bar.

I like that these are easy to break apart, under 150 calories, and only $.99 at Whole Foods like other Clif/Luna products. I do wish the sea salt flavor was present, or that the apple had a little tartness.

After work, I met my parents for dinner at Lime Leaf, a Thai/continental restaurant on the Upper West Side. Right after we ordered, we were brought out these little rice puff crackers with peanut sauce.

We split two appetizers: Tofu + Veggie Curry Puffs…

…and (spicy) Mushroom Ravioli.

For my entrée, I ordered Green Coconut Curry with tofu, vegetables, pineapple, basil and chili.

I ate half with jasmine rice, packed the rest up for lunch, and had a few bites of my dad’s Tofu Pad Thai.

After dinner, we walked next door for dessert at The Lite Choice. I used my punchcard from the tour to get us free cups! We each had almond butter; my dad and I both added chocolate chips.

When I got home, Ari and I tried to watch Willow, but I fell right asleep because I’d been up since 5. I was supposed to run 2 miles this morning but I decided to sleep and either go tonight when I get home or tomorrow morning instead, depending on how my knee is feeling.

I think we’re going to venture out to get bagels before work… I’ve been having such a craving for good lox and cream cheese! Have a great day

Peek In The Drawer

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:28:57 +0000

Evening! Had another tough awakening this morning… I overslept and only had time to run a mile on the treadmill. Better than nothing though, right? It stopped raining so hopefully that’ll make it a little easier to get up and run six miles before work tomorrow, although it’s also supposed to snow. Winter, it’s time to go!

Breakfast was a little different than usual this morning.

1/2 cup oats cooked in 1/2 cup water
pumpkin
1/2 banana
cottage cheese
1 T Mararnatha No Stir Smooth Peanut Butter
Cinnamon
Stevia

This held me over pretty well (no loud tummy growling) without leaving me feeling stuffed, which usually happens.

In my lunchbag I packed an apple, orange, peach yogurt, and salad with spinach, beets tomatoes, beets, dried cranberries, feta, tempeh, Goddess + Vidalia Onion dressings.

Somehow I found myself at the office candy bowl and pulled out a Caramel Apple lollypop. Remember these?

Danielle made lemon poppyseed muffins last night and brought one in for me. Oddly enough I was just thinking of making these myself!

In case I ever run out of snacks at work, all I have to do is open up my desk drawer! I keep nutrition bars, packets of nut butter, and whatever samples I have lying around. I also keep silverware so I don’t have to keep throwing away plastic utensils, health items like Band-Aids, ibuprofen, Wet Ones, Diva Drops (I think that’s what they’re called… these changed my life! I can finally wear high heels comfortably), and a shot of Red Bull (in case I need an emergency boost). What do you keep in your desk or purse? Do you carry emergency snacks?

I’ve successfully gone without doing a major grocery shop this week, and I’ll probably be able to make it until Sunday! I had a smorgasboard dinner; an open faced sandwich with tempeh bacon, cheddar & asiago cheese, Ten Minute Vegetable Soup, and sauerkraut.

For dessert, I had a bowl of The Lite Choice‘s Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge soft serve that I had in the freezer. I was shocked how soft it was! All I did was let it thaw for about 10 minutes before eating.

Back to Wall Street! Check in tomorrow for a giveaway! It’s good one

Sacred Chow

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:27:14 +0000

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!

Six at 6

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:08:17 +0000

Thanks for all of your movie suggestions! Here’s what’s on the running list:

Lars and the Real Girl
Up In The Air
The Soloist
Away We Go (I just saw this… loved it!)
The September Issue
In The Loop
Inglourious Basterds

I watch a lot of movies, so keep those suggestions coming!

Whew, this day has been long! Still going strong, though

I knew I was going to have to work from home after leaving the office at the end of the day, so I woke up at 5:45 to get my 6 mile training run in. Somehow, even though I’d laid out all of my clothes the night before, I didn’t end up leaving the house until 6:15! This was partly because my heart rate monitor wasn’t working and I was waiting for it to kick in… I think this weekend I will cave and finally pick up a Garmin. Coincidentally, my former boss just e-mailed me to tell me he’s fallen in love with the Garmin he got for the holidays!

Before I headed out, I fueled up with a mini Clif bar.

I haven’t wanted to run early in the morning because I was concerned about safety; it’s dark when I wake up and my route takes me through the park. This morning I stayed in populated areas, wore my neon reflective running jacket, and strapped on my RoadID. By the time I was halfway through my run the sun had risen and it was starting to snow! There is something immensely satisfying and calming in being out and about while people are just waking up and starting their day.

During the last few blocks I started getting pain in my right knee (what I think I can now safely refer to as “Runner’s Knee”… probably no meniscus damage) so I had to take a few walking breaks. I ended up running through most of the pain, though, so I wouldn’t be late to work! It felt great to have 6 miles under my belt before the day even started, and not have to crank it out on the treadmill later on.

I didn’t have a whole lot of time to eat breakfast, but I managed to have a nice, filling bowl of oatmeal.

1/2 cup oats cooked with 1/2 cup water
1 tsp chia seeds
Gala apple, microwaved with cinnamon for 90 seconds
1 tbsp almond butter
stevia

The snow was really coming down while I walked to work.

Snacked on an orange at work…

My mom met me for lunch at the Atrium, a Greek cafe in the Onassis Towers in Midtown.

I was ravenous when we sat down, and ordered just what I was craving: spanikopita (spinach and phylo pie) with Greek salad.

No scrap was left behind!

I was still hungry when I got back to the office… must have been that run! I tore into the Forze bars I won from a contest Melissa hosted…

My sweet tooth demanded Chocolate Decadence.

I really liked this! It tastes just like candy… must be a new trend in energy bars! The texture reminded me of a delicious European cookie, crunchy and sweet. It had an almost Nutella-like taste… must be the roasted almonds used in the bar! Can’t wait to try the other flavors.

I stayed at work a little late to maximize what I did in the office so I would have less to do at home. An apple held me over until I got home, although honestly, I was still really hungry after that bar! I don’t know what’s going on with my appetite…

I was excited to use my new toy to make dinner.

Finally got a spiralizer! I’ve actually had this for a couple weeks, but haven’t had time to give it a test run. I had a little trouble with it at first (which may or may not have resulted in a slew of profane mutterings), but finally my zucchini was given new life.

I should have just made a really simple sauce for this, but since I’ll be out for dinner tomorrow I wanted to use up the leftovers in the fridge. And when I say “leftovers,” I mean all of the leftovers. Oh lordy.

Yep, that would be grape tomatoes, broccoli, teriyaki-glazed tofu, mushrooms and broccoli pesto. And if that wasn’t enough?

I dipped it in crab soup! This was a definite “What was she thinking?!” moment. It’s never a good sign when you already have a fiber belly from nibbling on veggies before you even begin your dinner. Oofdah. But, after I gave myself some time to spend some horizontal time on the couch, I was ready to devour a homemade peanut butter cup. It was so good that I almost made another one, but I was all out of the dark chocolate I like so I just had an orange.

Back to work I go… it’s going to be a late night, and an early morning. I’m very behind in the Reader… I guess I’ll just have to catch up with ya over the weekend.

Have a great night! Bonne nuit

Tempeh, You Say?

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:58:43 +0000

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

You Can’t Eat Money

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:29:05 +0000

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?

Half-Marathon Training Begins!

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:10:25 +0000

Evening! Another long day has come and gone, but I’m still planning on doing a little work before I go to bed. I’m happy to report to have been fast asleep at 11 PM last night, and it was glorious! I’m still having some trouble getting up in the morning… I think I’ll have to invest in a better alarm. Have you heard of Clocky? He might be just the thing I need! What’s your tried and true wake-up method?

When I woke up, I made myself a quick, easy breakfast to enjoy while watching the news.

This yogurt mess contained:

0% Fage Greek yogurt
canned pumpkin
1/2 banana
1 mini TJ’s blueberry bran muffin
1 scoop TJ’s flaxy peanut butter
agave nectar

I will admit that I dipped into the communal bowl a couple times at work today… luckily I also had a healthy orange to munch on.

For lunch, I brought leftover Porcini Mushroom Soup (which is more mushroom/potato, less broth), apple slices, and carrots + hummus.

I wrapped a serving of hummus in a little Saran Wrap bundle, and am pleased to let you know that there was no spillage in my lunch bag! I’m getting the hang of this, slowly but surely.

In the afternoon, I snacked on half of a Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch Clif bar.

I went to the gym after work, eager to try out my new iPod. Sleepless in Seattle was on, so I watched that instead! Maybe I should have just bought the headphones…

Per my training schedule, I ran 2 miles at an easy pace. I also did arms and abs.

Distance: 2.0 miles

Time: 20:40 minutes (10:20 pace, 5.8 mph… schedule wanted me to run a 10:54 pace, but that was too slow for me!)

When I got home I was starving. Luckily dinner was all ready, by way of last night’s leftover Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables.

While watching an old episode of Glee, I ate some Coconut Bliss ice cream with homemade cardamom chocolate sauce. It was eaten out of a mug, just because!

Off I go to shower and read (for work). Have a great night!

Getting My Act Together

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:39:23 +0000

Evening! How was your weekend? For the first time in a while, I’m not sad to see Sunday go. Don’t get me wrong: today wasn’t a bother by any means, but quite the opposite! Since Friday night, this weekend has been filled with goodness. I’ve seen my parents and my friends, I’ve planned out the next week (read on!), I’ve read and finished a great book for pleasure, read for work, cleaned and done laundry, and even practiced some yoga! I’m finally starting to feel organized and on top of things. It’s a good feeling

This morning I woke up, naturally, at 8, and instead of rolling over and going back to sleep, took advantage of being awake in the early hours. I finished watching Jackie Brown while enjoying a nice bowl of oatmeal.

In the bowl:

1/2 cup oats cooked in 1/2 cup water
1 TJ’s flattened banana
frozen pineapple, warmed
1 tsp chia seeds
1 scoop flaxy PB
cinnamon
1/3 packet stevia (this is growing on me!)

And because it was Sunday and I didn’t have to function quite as highly as usual, I had a mug of green tea in place of coffee.

I lounged around, practiced some light yoga, and went into the city to meet Liz at One Lucky Duck for lunch.

We both had S+M salads: greens with avocado, hemp seeds, dulse, rosemary crackers and argon-lemon dressing.

Although I recently made a similar version, it makes such a difference to have the real ingredients, like Rosemary Quackers! I splurged and bought some for home… as well as a treat for later in the evening.

Liz and I chatted for a while, then went on our merry ways. I had some important grocery shopping to do (3 buck chuck, anyone?), and she had to fly home. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing some work in bed, napping, and snacking on this yogurt. I’d never tried Trader Joe’s “French Village” variety before, but I liked it! Fruit-on-the bottom yogurt always feels comforting to me; I ate it all the time growing up.

For dinner, I had a bowl of Porcini Mushroom Soup (made last night), toasted bread with Asiago cheese, and steamed carrots.

Washed it down with carrot water and TBRM…

… and for dessert: a raw “oh-reo” from One Lucky Duck. The cream was dead-on! Nabisco should be worried

It was quite a productive day. To keep this up throughout the week, I made myself a meal plan so I wouldn’t have to scramble at night after a long day at work.

It’s already been adjusted a little bit as my dinner tonight was slightly different, but it’s nice to have everything all laid out.

Speaking of which… as I tweeted Friday morning, I got into the NYC Half Marathon! It’s on March 21. Training starts TOMORROW. I haven’t been able to run as much lately (and haven’t run seriously since the 15K) but this is the incentive I needed to get back in the game. It’s still going to be a struggle for me to figure out what time works best for me in terms of training, but I’ll do it. Here’s my training schedule, customized by Smart Coach:

On days when cross-training (XT) is scheduled and I can’t make it to the gym, I’m going to practice yoga at home. I’m confident I can make this work!

On that note, I’m off to shower, finish my reading, and go to sleep. Have a great night!

Is The Upwelling coming to a venue near you?