This morning I had some things to do before work so I woke up at 5, headed to [...]]]> Thanks so much for your words of encouragement about the running situation… as of now, I’m still planning to run the half-marathon on the 21st, but I’m going to take it one day at a time.

This morning I had some things to do before work so I woke up at 5, headed to the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical, and came home to git ‘er done.  I had a delicious breakfast cookie waiting for me when I got home; I made a similar mixture last week and it was so good that I had to try it again!

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• splash skim milk
• 1 tbsp chocolate PB2
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• toppings: goji berries, Greek yogurt, pumpkin, dried fig, agave

I brought an orange and apple to work… I’m always paranoid about my apples being too noisy, so today I sliced it beforehand.  Did the trick!

I also had a slice of Gluten Free Bran bread… I love more each time I have some! This recipe is a keeper.

My lunch salad did a good job of cleaning out the fridge…

In the mix:

• mixed greens
• steamed broccoli
• celery
• grape tomatoes
• goji berries
• dried cranberries
• TJ’s Vegetable Marsala burger (I missed these!)
• Goddess dressing (mixed in at work)

Danielle had bought a package of Lemon Poppyseed Heart Thrive bars and wasn’t a fan, so she gave me the remaining bar.   I love these!  They were great snacks when I was in Russia, and just as good today.

Dinner required little planning, but worked out perfectly.

I made SELF’s Creamy Lemon Shrimp, halving the recipe and making a few substitutions:

• Greek yogurt in place of plain yogurt/ sour cream
• celery in place of chives
• agave in place of sugar
• spinach in place of arugula

It may not look so pretty, but I really enjoyed this!  It was healthy, voluminous, and filled me right up.

I packed half for lunch tomorrow; I love when I don’t have to think about what to prepare for the next day.

Dessert was Banana Soft Serve with a melted square of Bakers chocolate.

A superoon may have also sneaked its way in

Off to watch Gossip Girl!  It’s a lovely, lazy night.  Have a great one.

I loved my oatmeal combination so much  yesterday that I made the same thing today (minus the jar)! Oatmeal with cinnamon, stevia, pumpkin, pumpkin butter, lemon curd and chunky peanut butter. [...]]]> Right now I’m in bed, under the covers and watching Spanglish… and I have nothing to do tonight!  Life is good

I loved my oatmeal combination so much  yesterday that I made the same thing today (minus the jar)! Oatmeal with cinnamon, stevia, pumpkin, pumpkin butter, lemon curd and chunky peanut butter. Sorry to bore you, but this may make a reappearance tomorrow, too!

I was too tired to make lunch last night, so I got up a little earlier to pack it today: carrots, orange, blueberry Chobani and a big salad.

In the salad bowl:

• spinach
• small Granny Smith apple
• 1/3 block tofu
• grape tomatoes
• walnuts
• dried cranberries
• feta
• Herbs de Province salad dressing borrowed from Danielle… someone pilfered the bottle I keep in the fridge at the office!

Around 3:30 I dug into the snack drawer for something to chew on (I really need to get some gum!) and came out with a Caramel Chocolate Forze bar.

While there wasn’t a whole lot of “caramel” flavor here, it was still yummy!  It tastes like a sweet, chocolatey cookie.  It’s probably ranked #3 right now out of the flavors I’ve tried (Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Decadence are tied), but I still have on more to try.

I was zonked when I left work at 5:30 but I had two miles to run (according to my half-marathon training schedule) so I headed to the gym after work. My heart rate monitor took thirty minutes to start working… I am so close to getting a Garmin.

Mile 1-1.25:  5.8 mph

Mile 1.25-1.95:  6.5 mph

Mile 1.95-2.0:  5.8 mph

Total distance:  2.0 miles

Total distance:  20:00

Average heart rate:  165

Maximum heart rate:  189

Calories burned: 213

This was supposed to be an “easy run” at a 10:54 pace, but… on a treadmill, that felt like an eternity, and I wanted to get it done as quickly as possible! So I got a little impatient, but I think I paced myself pretty well and would have been able to carry on a conversation throughout. So, I think that’s my new definition of an “easy run”!  What is an “easy workout” for you?

Dinner was quick and easy: leftover fettuccine with mushrooms- to which I added a slice of tempeh bacon to make “vegetarian carbonara”- and steamed cauliflower with Emeril’s Original Essence, à la Miss K.

Then I had a long-lost favorite: a dessert plate!  My lovely Jess reminded me that it’s been a while since I had one, so I re-stocked my dried fruit stash.  This plate had two Medjool dates, a dried peach half, dried apricot, dried fig, prune, almond butter, and Peppermint Chocolove. Have you ever made a dessert plate? How do you make it?

Spanglish is a-callin’… I really like it!

And in honor of Groundhog Day, one year ago today: February 2, 2009!

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

Whew, this day has been long! Still going strong, though [...]]]> 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

This morning [...]]]> Evening! How was your Monday? Mine was lovely, but very long.  I’m about ready to roll over and go to sleep… then wake up and do it all again!  This is working life, I guess. I actually really like having a routine, I just wish there were  more hours in the day.

This morning I was a little rushed to get things ready (and left a few dirty dishes in the sink for Ari… whoops).  We’re still really low on groceries; I’ve gotten some little things here and there, but haven’t done a big shop.  I think I’ll probably wait until after the holidays, though.  Anyway, I wanted to make a pumpkin cake, but I really didn’t have enough pumpkin.  And thus, the pumpkin-banana cake was born! I just mixed up a banana, pumpkin, pumpkin butter and egg whites together and microwaved them for 3 minutes.  I topped the mixture with plain yogurt, lemon curd and flaxy peanut butter, and mixed that all up, too. Mm-mm good!

At work I snacked on a Mocha-walla bar; I wasn’t exactly hungry, but it was a little slow in the office because of the holidays so I think I just ate out of boredom.  These bars always make me think of my friend K!  This was pretty good… not my favorite, but I’d probably buy it again.  I like the chunks of chocolate!

I stopped at Whole Foods yesterday to pick up some things (mostly protein) that I can mix into salads for fast and easy lunches to bring to work.  I’ll be honest: I’m not too proud that I haven’t been able to cook as much as I’d hoped, but I think I’ll get a better hang of it once I’ve settled in a little better.

My salad today had spinach, edamame salad, cabbage slaw, corn salad and sesame-baked tofu.

I ate with a friend from work, who stopped at Pret-à-Manger for her lunch.  While there, I picked up a container of antioxidant vinaigrette to dress my salad with because it was made with blueberries!  The sales clerk didn’t even charge me for it.  Tis the season for kindness and generosity

Back at work, I snacked on an apple and did some research.  Yep, I get paid to read! I love my job

One of my coworkers made my day when he not only brought me a copy of Sarma Melngailis’ Living Raw Food (which I have been lusting after for months), but a raw coco-nutty treat as well! It had raisins, seeds, coconut, and all sorts of good things. I think it’s high time my food processor was put to work to make some of these goodies.

When I left work, I high-tailed it to the West Village to meet my parents, George, Judy and Anita for Judy’s birthday dinner at Il Mulino.  Almost as soon as we sat down, we were given an amuse boûche of marinated tomatoes, mussels and fried zucchini.

We were each also given hunks of parmesan (which I may or may not have brought home with me)…

…and a bread basket for the table with the most delicious smoked chili oil-soaked strips of crusty bread.

The ladies ordered Manhattans…

… and we toasted Judy.

My dad and I split two appetizers: fresh calamari sautéed in a spicy herbed tomato sauce…

… and black squid-ink linguini with scallops, shrimp and calamari.  I only had a few bites of this (although it was quite delicious)… I wanted to save room!

For my entrée, I ordered the branzino special.  This was the most tender sea bass I’ve ever eaten: light, fluffy, and oh-so delicate.  It really only needed a bit of lemon!

After Jud blew out her candle…

we split three desserts six ways:  The best flourless chocolate cake I’ve had in my life, with the best whipped cream I’ve had in my life.  Seriously.

The sweetest fresh strawberries with cinnamon sabayon…

…and ricotta-mascarpone cheesecake.

We were also brought out glasses of grappa, and toasted again.  (I only had a sip, and gave the rest to George.)

Happy Birthday, Judy!

It was a wonderful night.

Speaking of childhood, I got a fun e-mail from my friend Jenny at 8 this [...]]]> As of 3 minutes ago, it’s officially Thanksgiving! I’m cozy at home in my bed, surrounded by my stuffed animals, Polaroids from high school, and hundreds of books, among other things. What was your childhood bedroom like?

Speaking of childhood, I got a fun e-mail from my friend Jenny at 8 this morning while I was sipping on my coffee. Jenny is hands-down my oldest friend; our mothers grew up together, and although Jenny and I have been separate by half a country for our entire lives and only get to see each other once a year, we’ve always been close. When my grandfather was still living, my parents and I visited him in Indianapolis every winter between Christmas and New Year’s; this photo is from the winter of 1988. (That’s me on the right, with the bowl cut.)

Here we are this past summer, in Lake Michigan.

I miss her so much during the year. We look forward to our week on the lake so much!

After my trip down memory lane, I made a quick breakfast: Ezekiel English muffin with almond butter and a banana, raspberry jam on one side and pumpkin butter on the other.

I went to the post office to mail something; it didn’t open until 10 (which seems a little later) but there was a machine that got the job done. Then to physical therapy I went! It as a particularly good appointment. I learned some new exercises to stretch my hips; I can easily do them from the hotel room in Russia. After PT I raced back home to eat lunch before I had to turn right back around and go to an interview. I made a quick salad:

In the mix:

• romaine
• celery
• tofu
• leftover roasted veggiesM

It was one of the rare occasions where I could not finish my meal. Usually, once I’ve dished a certain amount of food out, I will eat every last scrap even if I’ve long since reached capacity. (Last night’s pasta plate was an example of this.) However, today I started getting a stomachache about partway through, and just picked out what I wanted (roast vegetables, tofu, hummus), leaving a fair amount of spinach.

I felt guilty about throwing the rest out (I won’t be back at the house for two weeks), but it was better than making myself sick. As it was, my tum hurt for the next two hours. My eyes are bigger than my head sometimes, and I think the most important thing I need to remember to do is slow down while I’m eating. I’ve been so rushed these past few weeks that although I’ve been eating foods I love, I’ve barely tasted them as I’ve had to practically inhale them to get from appointment to appointment on time. It’ll be nice to have a little break

There’s always room for sweets, though! I had a couple of these strawberry gummy candies from the Japanese grocery store in our neighborhood. Not bad!

I was starving after my interview. Luckily I had about four different snacks in my bag, so I ate one of the apple-flavored Heart Thrive bars that I was sent to review. I’ll do a formal review once I’ve sampled all of the products, but I liked this a lot!

When I got home I folded laundry and did some preparatory packing for my trip to Russia. I am one of the worst packers ever. I always take too much and forget crucial items, like spare contact lenses or pajama pants. Do you have any fool-proof (or LVP proof!) packing tips?

I snacked on some Concord grapes that were about to go bad while I waited for my dad to help me pack some things up. These grapes are really addicting. There are seeds, which I thought I wouldn’t like, but are actually kind of fun to work through and take longer to eat. Plus, these are the kind of grapes used to make grape juice, so they’re the perfect combination of sweet + tart.

While my dad was at a holiday party, my mom and I had dinner at watched Hannah And Her Sisters. Not only is this a really good Woody Allen film, but it’s told between two years’ worth of Thanksgivings! I ordered a bento box for dinner, which came with a spicy tuna roll, tempura, sashimi & shrimp shumai. (It came with rice, salad & miso soup as well, but I’m saving those for tomorrow.)

I also had a glass of Black Box Wine’s Sauvignon Blanc.

My mom brought home dessert from Billy’s Bakery, the same shop she ordered my birthday cupcakes from.

She bought one pumpkin cupcake and one pumpkin bar; we split them three ways. De-lish.

I’m off to bed. There’s a lot on the agenda tomorrow! Have a great night, a happy holiday, and safe travels wherever your day takes you.

This morning when I woke up at 8:30, I panicked for a few minutes before remembering that my boss (at my internship) had canceled work for the day. I was up and ready [...]]]> Evening! How was your day?  Mine was just fine, but I’m ready to crawl into bed and call it a night!

This morning when I woke up at 8:30, I panicked for a few minutes before remembering that my boss (at my internship) had canceled work for the day. I was up and ready to go, though, which things to do and people to see!

I was excited to try these goji berries with my breakfast.  I’ve only ever tasted these chopped up and mixed into other things, but when I snatched them right up when I spotted this bag on sale for $2.19 at the food co-op this weekend (they’re usually almost triple that price).  Goji berries are rich in antioxidants, and among their many benefits they are touted to improve eyesight (they’re rich in beta carotene), boost immunity, and spice up your sex life

I tossed them in with Greek yogurt, 1/2 toasted Trader Joe’s Berry Mango muffin, warmed frozen berries and flaxy peanut butter. The goji berries are firm but chewy; the texture really complemented the rest of the mess.

This held me over for a really long time.  The rest of the morning was spent reading, researching, and waiting until I was digested enough to go for a run.  I warmed up with a 20 minute hip opening flow, then set out for an easy 2 mile run.

Total distance: 2 miles

Total time: 20:09

Most of my runs are going to have to be in the morning now that it’s getting dark earlier; I’ll have to crank out some long runs on the treadmill when I’m in Russia, however.  I’m a little nervous that I won’t be able (psychologically) to run 7 miles on a treadmill…. What are you tips for making it through a long treadmill session?

Lunch was pretty basic (and very green): the last of the spinach and rice soup and a crunchy salad (spinach, broccoli slaw, celery, roasted almonds; sesame oil/rice vinegar/sesame seed dressing).

My interview was at 3:30; when it was over I hopped right back onto the subway and headed home.  I had 1/3 of a Key Lime Pie Larabar on the ride back:

I found myself in one of the rare instances when I didn’t have anything to read on the subway… it was completely disorienting.  I always have a book with me (sometimes two!); I would have brought one to prom if it had fit in my clutch!  Ari calls me his word nerd.

When I got home, I went straight to the kitchen to unwind and get dinner started.  I’ve had my eye on Martha Stewart‘s recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Pasta and Lemon Zest (in the November 2009 issue) for quite some time… a little too much time, because the head of cauliflower I’d bought in anticipation a couple weeks ago had started to mold.  But have no fear! I just sliced off the offending areas. I’m frugal, what can I say?

While slicing onion, I remembered what one of my cooking teachers always said: always cut out the middle greenish part of an onion.  I can’t quite remember why that is; I think it has something to do with it not being fully developed yet and causing stomachaches.

I was eager to try out this pasta… Nature’s Place is Hannaford grocery store’s natural, minimally processed brand.  Fresh (not dried) pasta always tastes so much better to me.

Plus, they look like little nests! Two “nests” make one serving.

When the veggies finished roasting (perfectly crispy!), it was all I could do to keep myself from eating them all right off the baking sheet.  I’d already made quite a dent in the cauliflower while I was chopping it… if I wasn’t careful, I wouldn’t have any ingredients left for dinner!

I tossed the roasted cauliflower with the pasta and added lemon zest, fresh parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil.

When it comes to parsley and other fresh herbs, I’m of the “more is more” mindset.

Lest you think this was a dainty, “ladylike” portion…

I had enough fuel to run a marathon with this baby.  Come November 6, you just might find me eating it!

There wasn’t too much room in my tum for dessert, but in the words of Tim Gunn, I made it work.  Dried figs and prunes stuffed with dark chocolate chips are so good… and they just keep me going back for more.  They kind of look like frogs, right?  I seem to have successfully eaten nuts in some form or other for every meal and snack today.

I’m off to seal my day with a lunar flow practice and hope to be in bed by 10.  I’ll make it work.

Bonne nuit

Edited to add: Kristina from Stonyfield Farm wants me to let you all know about a fun “Greek” opportunity!

“When consumers buy our quarts instead of single-serving cups, they pay less for their yogurt, but we know that a quart is not as convenient as single-serving cups for on the go consumption,” says our President and CE-Yo Gary HIrshberg. “The reusable yogurt cup gives our quart buyers the convenience of the Stonyfield 6 oz cups by providing a way to create easily transportable single servings for anywhere, anytime.”

Yogurt lovers just have to buy four Stonyfield yogurt quarts through December, and mail in the foil lids (describing this offer), and they’ll receive the reusable, eight-ounce yogurt cup made by Preserve®. Made from 100% recycled plastic, the cup is perfect for yogurt-lovers on the go, the ideal size for breakfast or a snack, with room to stir in fruit or granola. It’s dishwasher safe, BPA-free with a screw-on lid – and it’s made in the US.

Consumers will also get  $4.50 worth of Stonyfield and Preserve coupons along with the cup.

Our recycling partner since 2000, Preserve uses innovative methods to turn used materials (including used Stonyfield yogurt cups) into stylish, useful household products like toothbrushes, colanders, cutting boards and tableware. Preserve products are 100% recycled and recyclable too.

Consumers can mail clean foil lids, with name, address and phone number on an index card or 4” x 6” sheet of paper by February 28, 2010 to:

Stonyfield Farm
Reusable Cup Offer
PO Box 4840
Manchester, NH 03108-4840

Cups will be shipped starting in January, 2010 with delivery in 10 to 12 weeks. This offer is good only in the US, while cup supplies last, and is limited to one cup per household (to better spread the love around).

So save those lids!