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.

Last week, the lovely Shari graciously sent me a case full of Chobani Greek yogurt.

It has only been five days, and I’m already down [...]]]> If you’re a regular Lilveggiepatch reader, you know how much I love my yogurt.  I eat it pretty much every day, and when I can afford it, I go Greek.

Last week, the lovely Shari graciously sent me a case full of Chobani Greek yogurt.

It has only been five days, and I’m already down to my last three.  My name is Katie, and I am addicted to Greek yogurt.  I had a lot of fun eating my way through the case, and even more fun preparing this comprehensive flavor break- down for ya.

Low-Fat Pineapple

Pineapple is rich and creamy, and feels like a decadent dessert.  It reminds me of a tropical mouse my family and I used to eat at our favorite hotel restaurant in Guadeloupe, a small island in the French West indies.  This yogurt is not fat-free (each 6 oz container contains 2.5 grams of fat, 2 of which are saturated) but it is a worthy alternative to a “real” dessert, mid-day treat, or a fun breakfast.  I licked the container clean

Non-fat Peach

Peach is creamy, with lots of peach chunks.  It’s not as rich as the pineapple flavor; the difference between low-fat and non-fat seems pretty big.  It tasted a little more like regular yogurt and less like “Greek”, but it’s still good.

Non-fat Blueberry

Blueberry reminded me a bit of Dannon’s “Fruit-on-the-Bottom” yogurt (which I used to eat all the time when I was wee!). The part of the container that did not have fruit mixed in tasted a lot more like rich, creamy Greek yogurt.

Non-fat Strawberry

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Strawberry is good, but also reminds me of “Fruit-on-the-Bottom.” It didn’t taste quite so “Greek,” but I loved the strawberry chunks.

Non-fat Vanilla

You can really taste the Vanilla here! The ingredient list says “vanilla flavor“, so I don’t know if they use pure vanilla extract, but it really tastes like alcohol! It’s not too sweet, and mixes nicely with fruit and muffins.  It is also much richer and silkier than the fruit flavors.

Non-fat Plain

The Plain yogurt has a true “Greek” taste. It is incredibly rich and creamy, without being overly sour or tangy.

Bottom line: Would I buy these? The Pineapple seriously tastes like heaven on earth.  I have one left, and after that’s gone I’m going straight to the store.  I don’t buy low-fat yogurt ever (I always get fat-free), so that’s saying a lot.  In terms of the other fruit flavors, I tend to prefer to mix my own fruit in, and I think some of the “Greek” taste is lost when the fruit is stirred in during packaging.  But, as of late, I’ve had to eat a lot on-the-go, and for a busy lady like myself, a quick, nutritious and tasty snack would be highly convenient.  The Plain flavor is also really rich and delicious, and I would certainly buy it in the store.

Thanks again for your generosity, Chobani!

FYI for New York City folk: Chobani is on sale at Gourmet Garage for 2/$3.

Edited to add: the “right” way to eat “fruit-on-the-bottom” Chobani! Makes a HUGE difference, trust me.

Updated 2/8/10: Chobani Champions!

HoneyNana

Very smooth! Can taste both the banana and the honey here.  It’s not very thick; I might not know it was “Greek” yogurt if I hadn’t read the label, but it was still good.  Nice and sweet!

Chocolate

This still tastes a lot thinner than Greek yogurt; reminds me of Stonyfield’s Chocolate Underground non-fat yogurt, but stirred.  Even if it’s not thick, it’s still pretty good!

Yesterday, I started my morning with [...]]]> Good morning and happy humpday! The week goes so fast when you’ve had a long weekend.  I can’t believe Boston is in two days!  I still don’t know who all is going to be there, so if you’re reading this and are going, please drop me a line!

Yesterday, I started my morning with another awesome parfait.

• plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 white peach
• 1 plum
• 2 cherries
• cinnamon

Yum!

This didn’t hold me too well, sadly, and I had to break into one of my snacks on the way to my internship.   I’m running dangerously low on fig bars; a trip to TJ’s is greatly needed!

I went to Starbucks on my lunch break.  Even though I brought lunch with me, I wanted a place to sit and get out of the sun.  It was almost 100 yesterday! I ordered a tall iced coffee (and added skim and sugar in the raw) to grant me a chair.

I brought 1/2 serving of my leftover spinach fettucine con vongole:

I still had some leftover dressing from my raw “peanut” noodles, so I brought that and dipped leftover steamed kale and romaine in it. Deliciously messy.

With an apple, it made a pretty good for a lunch on the go!

After a few more hours of work at the office, I headed across town to go to the restaurant.  I’d been craving a smoothie all day, so I stopped at Elixir.  Every day they have $5 specials, so I went with that and got the Smart Start: banana, apple cider, orange juice, strawberries, melon, gingko, and protein powder.

A pretty hefty “snack”, but I thought I was going to have to power through another 8-hour shift.

Thinking I would have to wait until 11 to eat dinner, I split a Ginger Snap Larabar with my friend Cornelius around 7.

Unfortunately, by 7:45 I’d only had one table (whose grand total came to $11.92), so I went home with a wrinkly dollar in my pocket. I should have only made $.65 after tip-out (we have to give back 35%), but the busboys, bartender and manager didn’t want the $.10.

I took a salad to go; new policy says that wait-staff can only have plain lettuce or plain pasta, so I took my dinner home and beefed it up.

I added tomatoes, goat cheese, a chik’n patty, hummus, red pepper flakes and lemon vinaigrette.

I was craving chemicals for dessert and had a Skinny Cow vanilla-flavored Skinny Dipper.

While watching Almost Famous for the 23rd time, I did some therapeutic laundry-folding and felt a little better.

Sorry for that little rant. Today will be better! Ho ho ho.

I tried to take a picture of my hair to check it out, but I am the worst at taking photos of myself.

When we arrived at the ranch, we [...]]]> The bride and groom chose to be married at a ranch 30 miles from Park City.  We piled onto buses, and drove into the mountains.

I tried to take a picture of my hair to check it out, but I am the worst at taking photos of myself.

When we arrived at the ranch, we hiked up to the site of their “natural altar”.

It was easy to see why they chose this spot for their wedding…

The bridal party arrived, and the service was short and very sweet.

After their “I Dos” and “I Wills”, the bride and groom went to the woods to take their first walk together as a married coupe.  (It was a short walk; they came right back!)

We all went down to the ranch house for a champagne toast.

The hors d’oeuvres were very tasty. This one, a stuffed endive leaf, was similar to one I made in Michigan a few weeks ago.  (The lighting was great inside, but the photos didn’t turn out so well.)

The shrimp and goat cheese tartlettes were mighty fine.

Caprese kabobs are a clever way to prepare an old favorite, don’t you think?

The bride and groom hand selected all of the beverages.  The whiskey was local to Utah; it was very good, and tasted a little like honey. The beer was also a local brew…

… I stuck to wine.

Oakley Four Whites is a blend from Oakley, California.  I liked it quite a bit.

The light was beautiful when dinner was served.  I think the house may have been an old barn!

I was seated at a table with some of my Michigan friends (and some new friends as well).

We started with a delicious salad: romaine with strawberries, tomatoes, blue cheese, and almonds. The roll was good, but I was saving room for dessert (:-D) and only had a bite.

Dinner was served buffet-style, which was a great idea and a lot easier than trying to figure out each person’s  dietary needs.  I filled my plate with salmon topped with a corn/tomato/avocado salsa, orzo salad, and mixed veggies.  They were good, but I was hankering for salt and it was nowhere to be found.

The cake was beautiful.  The top layer was chocolate, the bottom a vanilla rum with raspberries.

This is a cell phone pick, but ain’t they the cutest?

I split a piece of vanilla cake, but the photo disappeared.  I also had a bite of a chocolate cupcake and a lemon square.  Mmm. And OOF!

It was a beautiful wedding, made all the more so by just how darn happy everyone was.  Yep, Miss LVP is turning into a sap.

Yesterday I overslept my alarm by TWO HOURS, so I was very happy to [...]]]> Once again, I am blown away by how sweet you all are.  Thanks so much for being so nice and understanding, and sticking with me even though I’m not always able to give you my 100%.  You make me blush!

Yesterday I overslept my alarm by TWO HOURS, so I was very happy to have followed my rules and prepared a breakfast cookie the night before.

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 2 T skim milk
• 1 T PB2
• 2 strawberries (topping)

Reading furiously must make burn more calories, because I was a hungry girl all morning! A couple hours after breakfast, I had a cup of TJ’s Organic Nonfat Greek Honey Yogurt.

An hour or so later, I had a Golden Delicious apple:

I finally finished my work around 2.  (On days I work at the restaurant, I like to eat lunch as late as possible since I eat dinner at 11 or later.) I took Jess‘s suggestion and made a Meatless Meatball sandwich, on a wrap (microwaved, not grilled, to save time) with hummus and light munster cheese.

I also had a huuuuuge arugula salad with red and yellow pepper, sprayed with Bragg’s.

It didn’t make the photo, but I smothered the wrap in salsa and Frank’s Red Hot.

At work, I snacked on a fig bar.  I first heard about these from our favorite Michigan girl, and I just love them! They’re like big, smushy Fig Newtons.

We weren’t very busy at work last night, but the hours actually flew by pretty quickly and I was surprised when it was time for Ramon to ask what I wanted for dinner.

He made me a big salad with mixed greens, vegetables, and a can of imported Italian tuna (in oil). Very yummy!

On my walk to the subway, I stopped at the deli across the street from the restaurant for a fruit cup.  I ate it all in less than five minutes! It’s hard to beat fresh fruit.

All in all, a busy, but not bad, day.  And hey, at least I’m not bored! I’m enjoying an evening to myself tonight, watching Fracture.  I do love me some Ryan Gosling

I’ve also been working on doing many things at once… here’s what my days have been looking like.

At home:

1. “Cook” breakfast cookie [...]]]> Good afternoon, friends! Sorry I’ve been out the last few days… things have been incredibly busy lately. Not everything has been recorded, but of course I’ll share what I have with you.

I’ve also been working on doing many things at once… here’s what my days have been looking like.

At home:

1. “Cook” breakfast cookie overnight, so in the mornings I can just pull it out and…

2. Put clothes in dryer while coffee is brewing.

3. Eat breakfast while reading 600 pages of manuscripts.

4. Perfect art of speed reading (thoroughly).

5.  Stretch in shower (not recommended… especially if you don’t have a shower mat!).

6. Shave legs while conditioning hair.

At work:

7. [En route]: sleep on subway.

8. Staple one check together while printing out another.

9. Flex abs and arms while running orders.

10. Do squats (AKA rest legs) during slow hours.

11. Sleep on subway home (but remember to get off the train).

Here are some of my eats:

Huuuuge bowl of Puffins & Smart Start w/ 1 plum, 1/2 banana, strawberries, & almond milk:

A Gliding Calm-style snack plate with red and yellow peppers, okra, and a fake chicken with melted lite munster:

I made a spicy peanut sauce out of PB2 and sriracha… so good!

Okra + peanut sauce may just be the strangest, most delicious new combination for me.

I’ve been snacking on my spiced chickpeas at work… I put them in the fridge and they got a little soggy, but they’re still great for instant energy.

After a rough night at work on Saturday, I stopped at 16 Handles for a big cup of Eurotart, Green Tea tart, and PB topped with peaches, kiwi and a huge glob of PB cup.

Daisy Brand cottage cheese w/ a peach, strawberries & granola:

Zucchini egg white fritatta w/ fontina & mozzarella cheeses:

Last night was the first night in a while that I’ve been able to spend time with Ari alone. We’d been planning on going out to dinner and a movie, but it started storming.  Instead, we ordered Thai, popped In Treatment into the DVD player, and a picnic on the floor.

We each had a glass of Frizzante (and thought about how I need to organize my closet area):

Grilled tofu satay:

Fried spring rolls (I had one… didn’t really want it, but they were free!):

Vegetarian coconut vegetable soup:

Dark chocolate:

Ari’s sister also brought me back some chocolate from Israel.

So far I have Switzerland, Germany, Russia…

Well, off to work.  I’m very beyond on your blogs… thanks for your patience!

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

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

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

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

Total time: 23:46 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 197 (99%)

Average heart rate: 146 (73%)

Calories burned: 210

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

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

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

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

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

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

The salad bar was better than usual.

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

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

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

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

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

Who says salads have to be boring?

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

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

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

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

I also chopped off my hair again.

Night