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?

We got outside and remarked, “Oh, it’s not so bad!” and took off.  Soon the wind started swirling around us, almost propelling us down the street.  On the way back, of course, we were running against it.  The worst part was how cold our ears got.  I tried running with my hands over them but then my peripheral vision was blocked.  We’d had grand plans for a hot chocolate stop on the way back, but when the time came we just wanted to get back inside.

I think something about being outside in sub-freezing winds and then returning to a warm apartment did something to our inner-ears, because we both felt almost nauseous for a good ten minutes after we were safe indoors.  Luckily, a hot shower and breakfast solved this problem! I had a cup of Blueberry Chobani with 1/2 banana, granola, and a cup of English Breakfast tea.  (Since I had today off work, I didn’t feel like I needed to overly caffenate myself with coffee.  Good feeling!)

Thank you for all of your suggestions about how to spend my vacation day!  I listened to you and slept in (until 10!), exercised, and relaxed.  I also spent some of the morning and early afternoon running errands, which made it a pretty good day in my book.

Since we ate a late breakfast, I didn’t end up eating lunch until almost 3.  I made a mighty fine sandwich, if I do say so myself!  I heated a whole wheat/flax pita and stuffed it with cashew “cheese”, spinach, Fuji apple slices and alfalfa sprouts.

I ran some errands with Ari (who is getting ready for a month-long tour), then met my parents for a very early (5:30) pre-theater dinner at Bali Nusa, one of our favorite Indonesian restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen.  I started with hot jasmine tea…

… vegetable tamarind soup (which reminded me of some of the soups we ate in Russia)

… and the vegetarian sampler, which I’ve ordered every single time we’ve been.  It’s delicious, and there are so many different things to try!  It was pretty big, and though I made a significant dent in it, the leftovers were packed up for later.

For dessert, we all got banana islands: bananas fried in pastry and served with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

My dad also got a very interesting cold drink made with condensed milk, jello, and fruit.

After we left the restaurant, bellies full, we headed over to the Signature Theater to see Part II of The Orphans’ Home Cycle.  We saw Part I about a month ago, and while I really enjoyed tonight’s performance, I slept through the entire first act.  It’s horrible! It’s bad enough that I sleep through movies, but I feel terrible that the actors can see me sleeping through their performance.  I wish I could help it

We munched on Green & Black’s 85% dark chocolate during the first intermission (there were 3 acts) to boost our sugar levels, and it worked: I stayed awake for the last two hours.

After the play, I went straight home, put on my pyjamas unloaded the goodies my parents brought me back from the co-op: chia seeds, organic coconut oil, tahini, a spice grinder, and a tiny mortar and pestle.  Do I not have the best parents in the world?

Now I’m in bed watching Defiance (which Brandi recommended).  The story is really interesting and the film has an all-star cast, but my I’m fading fast!  I think I’ll save the rest for tomorrow when I’ll be able to stay awake and appreciate it.

Check in tomorrow morning… I’ll be hosting a GIVEAWAY!

Night

Luckily I was only a little late to work, and if it had to happen, the week between Christmas and New Year’s was the time to do it.  I worked through the morning, then, when I found out my lunch date was canceled, ordered lunch from Free Foods NYC, Matthew Kenney’s eat-in/take-out deli/café in Midtown.  I ate there once before and loved it; lucky for me, they deliver! The only downside is it’s a little pricey.

When my meal arrived, the deliveryman called up from downstairs.  Easy peasy!

My salad had arugula, barbecued tempeh, spiced mangoes, grilled vegetables, roasted beets w/ orange zest, goat gouda (!!!) and pear cider vinaigrette. I asked for a whole grain roll and instead got a hunk of baguette, which was still good even if it wasn’t quite what I’d wanted.  I was happy to get to know some of my coworkers over lunch; we enjoyed a relaxed hour together in the conference room.

In the middle of the afternoon, when my energy was lagging and my tum was starting to growl, I reached into my snack drawer and pulled out a Cashew Cookie Larabar.  I should make these.

After work, I met Greg at Starbucks.  He’s visiting for the holidays, and it was so nice to see him!  In the last three days, I’ve been able to meet up three friends I haven’t seen in a while.  I love my life, but sometimes I don’t get to see the people I love as much as I’d like.

While we caught up, I sipped on a tall skim Vanilla Rooibos tea latte.

When I got home, I heated up the last of the Miso Soup with Salmon and Soba and watched an episode of Glee.  I love that show! I love when an actor is on two separate shows that I watch, concurrently, like Jayma Mays, who is also on Heroes.

I had ice cream with cardamom chocolate sauce for dessert… I’m going to to keep the brand and flavors a secret until I review them! Stay tuned

While we finished Gone With The Wind (it only took 3 viewings!) I had a small glass of Luis Felipe Edwards’ Sauvignon Blanc.  I liked this wine! I think it’s the first Sauvignon Blanc from 2009 I’ve had.

Off to read in bed! Can’t wait to sleep in tomorrow, although I don’t want to waste the day.  I really appreciate my days off now.  How would you spend a vacation day?

Bonne nuit

Our house guest left this as a parting gift when he left.  I’m sure it’s delicious, but I really didn’t pause to smell or taste it before throwing it back.  I’ll let you know about that tomorrow

I replenished my supply of POMx to dissolve my Ester-C into.  I’m still so proud of myself for discovering this works!  (For new readers: I drink a little bit every day with breakfast to dissolve Ester-C, which aids the absorption of an iron supplement I take for low energy, but don’t photograph it every morning.)

I was excited to try out a new product with breakfast: Stonewall Kitchen’s Lemon Curd.  I’ve been curious about this for years, and my mom was nice enough to buy it for me this weekend.

Breakfast was a double portion of Sarah‘s pumpkin “cakes”, topped with a heaping cloud of 0% Fage, cinnamon, walnuts, and a scoop of lemon curd.  Lemon Meringue Pumpkin Pie before 7 AM? Yes, please!

I had two back-to-back interviews starting at 9 (which I think went well); afterward I needed to unwind a little with some teasing retail therapy (AKA touch everything, buy nothing) at J.Crew and Anthropologie.  How is it that a store (or two) can be filled with only perfect things?  But my bank balance remained stable, and I left satisfied with the clothes on my back.

The tree is going up in Rockefeller Center…

I sat in the plaza and ate my Criterion apple.  Sometimes it’s okay to be a tourist in your own city.

After making sure there were no more stores I needed to browse through, I came home to get some done and eat lunch.  I heated up a bowl of Spinach & Rice soup and added lots of fresh parsley, and served it alongside a small sweet potato with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Perfect mid-Monday comfort food, if you ask me.

I thought I deserved a treat, so I had some 55% Dark Chocolate Peppermint Chococolove.

The rest of the afternoon was spent writing. Welcome to my “office”!  You may recognize it as the kitchen table, but during the day I spread out and use it for reading, writing, researching, and tea-drinking.  I tried the Sugar Plum Spice holiday tea… so good.  I think this might have been the first flavor they came up with, because I remember having it a long, long time ago before they changed their packaging.

After successfully moving to decaffeinated tea, I didn’t want to go back to drinking coffee so late in the day.  Instead, I moved on to a cup of Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride.  I don’t know how they do it, but this smells so much like a cookie! It’s very vanilla-y, but it has a very soft taste without a hint of bitterness.

I finished up my work, then went into the city to meet my friend Ilena at 5:30 for an early dinner at FreeFoods NYC.

Tonight was another example of how many secrets this city has to offer, both food-wise and other.  I never would have suspected that a restaurant like this could exist (and thrive!) in Midtown Manhattan, in the heart of corporate offices and tourist attractions.  Was I wrong!  It goes to show that people do want to eat locally and sustainably, the options just have to be made available.

FreeFoods serves fresh soups, sandwiches and salads; they have raw, vegan and gluten-free options.

I built my own salad with arugula, avocado, spiced mango, shittake mushrooms, spicy shrimp and Manchego cheese with Thai basil dressing.

One of the staff members had made an extra Vitality Berry smoothie (sweet cherry, açai, blueberry- pomegranate juice, ginger-agave), so Ilena and I split it with our dinners.  It was really good, and helped ease the heat in my mouth leftover from my spicy salad dressing!

Ilena and I sat for a while catching up…

…and were treated to another smoothie sample! This time we tried the “orange creamsicle” (it’s new, and the ingredients aren’t listed).  As Ilena said, it really did taste like a creamsicle, “but not in the bad way”!

Since we dined early, I was back home by 7:30 to get some things done before Gossip Girl.  Sadly, it seems like most TV shows have already had their holiday finales, so I did some more work instead.  I did, however, make a fabulous dessert to fill my Chuck Bass-sized void…

My dad found a great deal on takeout containers of Tasti D-Lite, so he picked me up some peanut butter frozen yogurt.  I added frozen berries and Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter.

Another sweet end to a good day.

What was the best part of your Monday? What are you looking forward to about Tuesday?

P.S.  Please vote for Lyle!  She is a talented, beautiful actress who deserves to realize her dreams.  Register, vote, and help here get there!

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?

Here’s breakdown of the teas, in order of my preference.

POMx Light Pomegranate Hibiscus Green Tea

We drank this in the car on the way to Woodstock.

Ari’s review: Spiffily designed package.  I wouldn’t purchase this product, only because I’m usually a water drinker. I might pick it up if I saw it in a deli, or if I had one of Katie’s coupons.  It tasted like a Pomegranate gatorade/iced tea mixture, with maybe a hint of oak.

My review: I wouldn’t have thought this was “light” tea if I hadn’t read the package.  It’s sweet but not overpoweringly so, and very thirst-quenching.  The flavor was very interesting and slightly tropical.  I felt festive drinking it!

POMx Pomegranate Lychee Green Tea

My review: Lychees are one of my favorite fruits, and I can clearly identify it in this drink.  It’s almost a little tangy, and sweet but not syrupy.   I drank this when I was sick with a stomach bug; I usually drink ginger ale when I’m under the weather, but I didn’t want to pump my body with chemicals.

POMx Pomegranate Peach Passion White Tea

My review: This tastes a bit like guava.  It’s tropical and sweet, much better than some other popular bottled peach drinks I’ve encountered.  It has a deep “perfume-y” flavor, and smells delicious.

POMx Light Pomegranate Wildberry White Tea

My review: This has a subtle berry flavor, plus something not quite identifiable.  I drank this after a long run and felt good about using it to refuel; it’s chock full of antioxidants and doesn’t have too many calories per serving.  It was a little too sweet for me; I’m not a big fan of sugary drinks, natural or not.  It had a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Bottom line: Would I buy these? Maybe.  I don’t love drinking my calories, but I enjoyed these teas in small doses.  I imagine they’re on the pricey side so I’d probably save them for a special occasion.

POMx Iced Teas are slated to hit stores soon, so keep on the lookout! Thanks, POM, for giving me the opportunity to try these out!