We are really running low on fresh supplies (although I have oodles of chocolate!), but I’m going to be [...]]]> Good afternoon, Lovepies! I hope you are having a fantastic day, although by the time you read this it might very well be  nighttime for I am once again on the World’s Slowest Computer (WSC).

We are really running low on fresh supplies (although I have oodles of chocolate!), but I’m going to be out for a few meals in the next few days so I’d rather not buy produce only to have it spoil.  Yesterday I turned to the freezer for inspiration, and heated some of Trader Joe’s Mangolicious blend, which I mixed with a crumbled Apple Berry Vitamuffin and nonfat yogurt.

I’ve been wanting to make a pretty parfait again, but the only clear glass in the house has gone missing.

After I worked around the house for a little, I grabbed an apple and headed into the city for some speedwork at the gym.

I don’t know about other runners out there, but I have a really hard time staying on the treadmill for more than two miles, and even that is a challenge for me.  It’s just so boring!  There was nothing but reality and sports showing on the TVs, and running in place feels a little depressing to me.  I can’t stop myself from staring at the screen as minutes and distances slowly tick by, even if I cover it with a towel. I think I can also run faster when I’m outside; on the treadmill, running less than a 10-minute mile is really a challenge for me.  One more reason that I need a Garmin! Finally, Behind The Music: Pink came on, and I actually kind of really like her, so I watched that and the time passed  a little more quickly.  I ran 4 miles at speeds ranging from 6.0 – 7.5, taking recovery breaks at 4.0, and cooled down for 3 minutes.

Total distance: 4.15 miles

Total time: 42:28 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 192 (97%)

Average heart rate: 176 (89%)

Calories burned: 496

After a very fast shower, I hurried to the subway, eating my Whole Foods meal (which I had wisely bought before working out, to save time) on the way.  I actually wasn’t so excited to eat this… I think I’m beginning to suffer from Food Boredom.

In the mix:

• spinach
• broccoli
• roasted sweet potatoes
• bok choi
• baked tofu
• vegan chicken salad
• seaweed salad
• sweet & spicy dumpling (1)

I almost got a soup to accompany my salad, but I was low on time and wanted to save room for my afternoon treat.  I hopped on the subway, transferred, and made my way to Babycakes to meet Ellie and Leslie.

I’ve dreamed about Babycakes cupcakes and their icing shots for far too long. Even if their pickings were horrible (which is far from the truth, their store is one of the cutest places I’ve seen.  The bake staff have the most adorable little Waitress-style outfits (that I would definitely wear in a non-working environment) And, even better, these treats are actually good for you! Have my prayers been answered yet again?  Here’s what they say about the sweets on their website:

In a city dominated by cupcakes overflowing with sugar, flour and butter cream, it’s easy for those with persnickety diets to feel left out. BabyCakes offers all-natural, organic and delicious alternatives free from the common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein and eggs. Rest assured, all sweeteners have been chosen responsibly and used sparingly. White sugar will never be found in our bakery, nor will we ever use toxic chemical sweeteners. Instead, most products are sweetened with agave nectar—a natural syrup from a cactus which is low on the glycemia index and often a safe alternative to most non-insulin dependant diabetics. Occasionally, unprocessed and unrefined sugar is used in certain goods, although sparingly.

The menu of the day:

It was very hard for me to choose…

As soon as I saw the Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate-Fig Ganache and Cinnamon-Nutmeg frosting, however, I knew what I needed.

Leslie got this as well.  We both thought that the cake itself tasted a bit like sweet cornbread, which wasn’t a bad thing! The filling was amazing, and the frosting was un-freaking-believable.  I need to go back and get a shot of that before they stop making their seasonal flavors.

It was really nice to chat with the girls; I met Leslie in Boston at the Summit, and we really have to get together again soon.  Lucky for me, I’ll be able to see Ellie again on Friday for dinner!  After we parted ways, I headed home.  Ari is leaving on Sunday for Europe, and I wanted us to be able to have a nice dinner together before.  I was mighty thirsty when I got back from the grocery store, and sipped on Goya coconut water while cooking.  This stuff is great… it’s cheap (6/$3.50) and has small chunks of young coconut meat on the bottom!

I also snacked on this silly-looking carrot.

I whipped out my Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean cookbook, which I do not use  nearly enough.  Melissa Clark is one of my present-day culinary heroes.  I wanted to make something with either mushrooms or chickpeas (Ari’s favorites, after steak ), and decided on Garbanzo Cassoulet

The recipe calls for either homemade or store-bought tomato sauce; since the cassoulet was already going to take 2+ hours to make, I picked up a jar of Newman’s Own Sockarooni sauce.

It’s not organic, but the ingredient list is short and comprehensive.

I threw in a couple shakes of Emeril’s Original Essence for good measure…

Instead of using regular breadcrumbs, I used whole wheat panko.

Two hours later, the cassoulet was done.  There is a recipe for “Quick Cassoulet” on the opposite page of the same cookbook, which would be nice if you don’t have time to make this one.  However, if you do have the time, it really pays off.

I served it with some steamed green beans.  We got more than our fair share of veggies!

After a few bites, Ari remarked, “Hey! It’s vegetarian and I love it!” I’m glad it was a hit.  We both went back for seconds, which we enjoyed with some Gato Negro Sauvignon Blanc.

After dinner, we had to run some errands and somehow ended up walking out of Coldstone with huge cups of ice cream.  The photo didn’t turn out, but I got a “Like It” (or “small”, if you are Coldstone-illiterate) with Sinless Sweet Cream ice cream, cookie dough, and hot fudge.  Oof, my tum was not happy about that choice.

Well, I’m off to get some reading done.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

Good afternoon!  I hope your day is off to a great start… I woke up thinking it was Saturday!  I slept in this morning, which was glorious.  Not too much on the agenda for today, which [...]]]> I asked Ari what this post should be titled, and this is what he deemed to be appropriate.

Good afternoon!  I hope your day is off to a great start… I woke up thinking it was Saturday!  I slept in this morning, which was glorious.  Not too much on the agenda for today, which is A-OK with me

Yesterday was slated to be a long run day, so I woke up, guzzled some coffee, and fueled up with half a Dulce de Leche Luna Bar.

I stuffed some gummies into the little pocket of my shorts (which left me a tad sticky)…

I finally made a new playlist… the No Doubt song has been in my head for the better part of this week.

The run was fine… again, I just felt sleepy.  I think, for me, running distances is going to end up being more of a psychological challenge.  Obviously the physical aspects are also great, and every time I go out for a run I hope so hard that it won’t be the day that something goes wrong again.   The only thing that went “wrong” today was that my heart rate monitor didn’t register my actual heart rate…

Total distance: 6.4 miles

Total time: 1:07:55

I’m not sure if I should be concerned that I haven’t been increasing my speed for these long runs… and it’ll probably be time for me to increase my distance again soon, too.   I just signed up for my first 10K a couple minutes ago- it’s next WEEK- so I’m going to have to start working on this!

My “training schedule” is a little weak, since I only have 8 days, but here’s what it looks like, which I made on the Runner’s World website:

When I got back from my run, I made another excellent fall smoothie: Cherry Pumpkin Pie.

I made this using frozen cherries, canned pumpkin pie mix, homemade almond milk, cinnamon and nutmeg, and topped it with a little GoLean & granola.  After breakfast and a bunch of puttering around, I packed up my portable lunch.  I wanted to use up all the leftovers, which, combined, made for an… interesting salad:

The bottom layer was covered with sprouts, topped with corn & edamame salad and beets; the small compartment had leftover fish and a few noodles.  Some things, shall we say, do not taste great the morning after.

On the subway, I snacked on some TJ’s dried fruit. Balls to the wall, as my lady would say.

My dad had told me about a DMV that expedites all of their services, so luckily I was in and out (with a new picture!) in 20 minutes.  Must be some kind of record.  It was starting to rain, so I went into Starbucks and bought a Tall Skim Chai so that I could eat my lunch without getting drenched.

After taking a few minutes to read and decompress, I skedaddled along to an informational interview, then picked up a few books.  The first was a beautiful collection of poems by my friend and former professor, Kristin Naca.

The second was A Race Like No Other, to motivate and inspire.

Then, in the spirit of racing, I rushed home to see my traveling musician, who has spent the last three weeks on his own kind of race, driving back and forth across the country with Blink 182 and the All American Rejects.

We grabbed some friends and went for dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant.  I was still pretty full from lunch, so I only ate a little of my Massaman Curry with shrimp (with unpictured rice) and took the rest home.

A little while after we got home, however, I was hungry again, and dug right back into the take-out container   Ari and I went separate ways for dessert; I had a Double Chocolate Dream Vitamuffin with frozen cherries, Greek yogurt, and homemade almond milk.

Ari had Saltines with Nutella & peanut butter.

Nutella is made with skim milk, hazelnuts (healthy fat), and chocolate (antioxidants), so it’s practically a health food!

We had a little Domaine Lalande Pinot Noir (a gift from Howard on my last day of work), and watched Grey Gardens, which Caitlin had recommended.

It was a great night… I’m so happy he’s back!

I’m off to go cross-train, as my training schedule recommends.  What are your plans for the weekend? Enjoy it!

The night before last, I’d planned a really unique breakfast as I was lying [...]]]> Good morning and happy Wednesday! I can’t believe the week has flown by so fast… and I’m that much closer to being 22.  I think I’ve turned a little anti-birthday, but maybe not.  How do you feel about your birthday?

The night before last, I’d planned a really unique breakfast as I was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep.  When I woke up, though, I was doubting my creative abilities and sent a frantic Tweet asking for some breakfast suggestions.  A few minutes later, though, I went with my gut, and am I glad I did! I present you with: The Fall Smoothie.

This is made with:

• homemade raw almond milk
• 1 banana
• 1/3- 1/2 cup puréed butternut squash
• nutmeg
• cinnamon
• granola for garnish

Uh-MA-zing! If you make this and don’t have almond milk you’ve made yourself, I suggest throwing in a few whole almonds for thickness and added flavor.

As usual, I puttered around for a few hours before I was ready to go for a run.  To hold myself over, I snacked on the last piece of butternut squash banana bread with a smear of peanut butter:

The run itself was uneventful, but I did have some lovely new music to keep me going.

Total distance: 4.5 miles

Total time: 43:46

Maximum heart rate: 186 (93%)

Average heart rate: 172 (86%)

Calories burned: 494

Lunch was exactly the same as dinner (hence the re-used photo). Blegh. Soup is finally all eaten up, though!

I made a pineapple spritzer using the juice that was left in the can and a little seltzer.

Both the run and lunch were starting to put me to sleep, so I brewed up some “Magic Feeling” tea that I got in Berlin (only in Germany, eh?).

I felt a little too magical, because I conked out for the next two hours.  Whoops!  When I woke up, I was ready to get cookin’.  I snacked on three chunks of energy to get me moving again…

I’ve had the ingredients to make Veganomicon‘s Corn and Edamame-Sesame Salad for a while now, and at the very last minute I decided to add some diced grape tomatoes to the mix as well.

I also whipped up SELF‘s White Bean Consommé with Almond Milk, and halved the recipe so I wouldn’t have another soup sitch like last week!

It was lacking a little something, so I “remixed” it with alfalfa sprouts, chili flakes and Bragg‘s.  Much better!

For dessert, I tried out my last new flavor of Vitamuffin, Deep Chocolate.

I crumbled it on top of a container of Trader Joe’s nonfat Organic Vanilla Greek Yogurt, and topped the whole thing with homemade almond milk. I don’t know if I’ve expressed how much I enjoy this yogurt before, but it’s amazing!  You can actually see the specs of vanilla bean.

Well I’ve literally got to run out the door so I’m not late for my internship.  Have a great Wednesday!

Vitalicious supplements their baked goods with tons of vitamins and minerals to help busy consumers get the nutrients they need. They worked hard to create rich and [...]]]> About a month ago, the lovely folks over at Vitalicious were kind enough to send me a VERY generous sampler pack of their VitaMuffin VitaTops and VitaBrownies.

Vitalicious supplements their baked goods with tons of vitamins and minerals to help busy consumers get the nutrients they need. They worked hard to create rich and wholesome muffins, brownies and cakes that can satisfy the sweetest tooth without giving you, well, a muffin top!  Did they succeed? Read on!

VitaBrownie w/ AB

VitaBrownie: The look of it reminded me of the packaged brownies that one can find in the checkout aisle of grocery stores.  While the nutrition facts are better than those packaged brownies or even a homemade version, I’d prefer to eat the richer dessert.  However, for someone looking for a quick chocolate fix, this is a good and healthy option.

Banana Nut

Banana Nut: This tastes just like banana bread! There are big nutty chunks, and it smells like it came right out of the oven. Perfect!

CranBran

CranBran: Very moist. The dried cranberries add just the right amount of tartness to the sweet muffin. It was perfect on its own and didn’t need any kind of spread.

AppleBerry

AppleBerry: This is one of my favorites.  It smells heavenly, just like the apple cake my dad makes.  The berries are plump and juicy, and the muffin is light, fluffy and satisfying.

Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip

Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip: This was good, but a little dry.  I had high hopes because chocolate + peanut butter is one of my favorite flavor combos; it wasn’t bad, but I would have been happier with more peanut butter flavor.

Chocolate Fig

Chocolate Fig: This was good, but again it was a little dry and being the fig lover that I am, I wanted more dried fruit!

Blue Bran

BlueBran: As soon as I opened the microwave, it smelled like homemade muffins. I loved this flavor! It tasted just like something I would have baked for myself.

Golden Corn

Golden Corn: I love corn bread.  I never think to make it myself or even buy it in stores, but when I do have it I’m a very happy girl.  This muffin doesn’t taste exactly like a traditional corn muffin, but the taste is still there.  It’s a little sweet, but that gave me more options to play around with it.  Would you make a Greek yogurt/plum parfait with your Thanksgiving corn bread? I don’t think so! But maybe you should.

Double Chocolate Dream

Double Chocolate Dream: The white and dark chocolate chips get deliciously melty, and it really does feel like eating birthday cake for breakfast.

Deep Chocolate VitaTop

Deep Chocolate: There were so many warm chocolate chips in here… I loved it!  It was the perfect dessert, and definitely soothed my chocolate craving.

Bottom lines: I’m usually a chocolate fiend, but I surprised myself by enjoying the fruit and bran more… I found them to be more flavorful and “real” tasting.  These muffins are fabulous for what they are: rich, low in calories, and full of wholesome ingredients.

Would I buy these? I don’t usually order muffins at bakeries because they’re usually pretty large and full of not-so-good things and a pretty big undertaking.  With Vitamuffins, however, I can supplement my regular meal with a healthy treat without feeling like I can’t eat anything else for the rest of the day.  I would definitely order this sampler pack again. Click here to purchase… it seems they have already come up with new flavors like Banana Fudge and Chocolate Mint, and have even added a low-acid coffee to their list of products!

Thanks again, Vitalicious!

To be perfectly honest, I can barely remember yesterday! Thank heavens for food photography.  I started the morning with [...]]]> Good morning and happy almost-weekend! I’ve already had a completely satisfying day thus far, and it’s only 11:45! But, alas, that is a story for another day.  That day would be tomorrow. Hehe

To be perfectly honest, I can barely remember yesterday! Thank heavens for food photography.  I started the morning with a nutritious breakfast, brought to you by Mr. Golden Corn VitaTop.

I crumbled him up and sprinkled him between layers of Fage 0% (finally caved and splurged) and a red plum.  I have a feeling the last weeks of summer fruit are upon us!

The rest of the morning was spent folding laundry and cleaning.  Although it was fun while it lasted, it was time for my surrogate Laundry Boyfriend to go.

Mid-clean, I stopped for an Amazing Grass-1/2 banana-PB shake:

Then I packed up my lunch and scooted into the city, just in time for my Vinyasa class.  I was in the right class this time, and my muscles were very happy about it.  The class kicked my butt… for some reason, no matter how much strength training I do, my arms never seem strong enough! I fell over in Crow again, but I laughed it off and promised myself that one day, however far away that day may be, I will be able to do it.

After yoga, I was more than ready for lunch.  It was cold and windy outside, so in the spirit of all things “Vigilante“, I unpacked the items I’d brought…

Black-eyed peas, tomatoes, sprouts, carrots, and hummus:

1 heart of romaine:

Strawberry Oikos:

I assembled my salad:

I only looked a little bit guilty while I ate

Edible magazines are promoting Terry Walters’ Clean Food book (which I really need to check out) in such an innovative way… with basil seeds! What a great idea.  I just have to find a place to plant them that gets enough sunlight!

After lunch, I wandered aimlessly for a bit to kill some time before work.  Things have gotten a little crazy for me recently, and I’ve found myself to be… more emotional than I usually am.  It’s a difficult time for all post-grads (and everyone else!); I’m just trying to find ways to tackle and take charge of it.  This blondie (from the Union Square Farmer’s Market) helped.

It was very heavy, but the sugar and butter made me feel better.  There’s a lot to be said for comfort food!

I sat on a stoop (one of my favorite things to do in the city) and traveled back to 1960s Paris…

I drank the wheat grass at work, mixed with water and a squirt of fresh- squeezed OJ.

The restaurant was pretty dead last night, and since I was closing, the clock seemed to move unbearably slowly.   I was anticipating my 6 mile run in the morning, and all I wanted to do was get in bed and go to sleep.

Dinner was a lovely salad: mixed greens with tomatoes, red pepper, celery, walnuts, and… grilled shrimp. Muy bien!

I ate an apple on the way out the door…

… and decided to splurge on a cab.  I’ve finally figured out the fastest and cheapest route home, and in terms of time and safety, is really worth spending the money on when it’s late.  I was in bed at 12:45, and although my mind raced just thinking about my long run, I fell right to sleep.

I’m on a strict time budget today, so please forgive my good-blog-friend tardiness.  Have a great day!

I can’t believe it’s already Monday… and there’s only one more Monday of August! Where has the summer gone? I guess I’ve done a lot… I’ve been to Germany, Michigan, Utah, and Maryland… it’s just strange [...]]]> Good morning, friends! If you haven’t already, don’t forget to enter my giveaway! It will change your life.

I can’t believe it’s already Monday… and there’s only one more Monday of August! Where has the summer gone? I guess I’ve done a lot… I’ve been to Germany, Michigan, Utah, and Maryland… it’s just strange to know that it’s almost Fall.  Autumn is actually my favorite season, though… I love the feeling of a “fresh start” that a new school year always gave me, pulling out my sweaters, drinking hot Chai, Halloween, MY BIRTHDAY… so yeah, I’m pretty excited for the weather to change, now that I think about it!

Yesterday, I met my friend Lisa for brunch at the Manhattan Diner.  I haven’t seen her since June, and it was so nice to catch up.  Neither of us had fully recovered from the shock of being awake, so we drank lots of coffee.

We both ordered the same thing: an omelet made with organic eggs, avocado, pepper jack, carrots, and zucchini, with a side of mixed greens. We also both doused our eggs in hot sauce and ketchup… we’re fated to be friends

The bread was good, but nothing beats my beloved toast from the usual place, so I only had one slice.

All of that coffee was just what I needed, so after I left Lisa, I went home to gear up for a run.  I haven’t really exercised since my yoga class on Thursday, and although I walked about 7 miles throughout the weekend, I needed to feel the cardio burn.  It was great! It started raining towards the end of my run (about 3.1 miles) , but it actually felt really refreshing.  I came home a sweaty beast, but with enough energy to do my 8-minutes abs exercise, which I’ve sorely ignored lately.

Total time: 37:53 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 195 (98%)

Average heart rate: 165 (83%)

Calories burned: 405

By then, I was ready for a snack. I made a BIG bowl of plain Chobani, 1 banana, 1 nectarine, and a drizzle of pomegranate syrup.  It was perfect! My dad reminded me the other day how versatile (and yummy) pomegranate syrup is.  It’s also relatively inexpensive ($5/bottle), so I’d encourage you to try it if you haven’t already!

I was feeling industrious, so I made some of Gena‘s homemade raw almond milk.  I’d left the almonds soaking overnight, so this was easy-peasy and took almost no thought whatsoever! I don’t have a nut-milk bag, but a conventional strainer did the trick.

I let it strain through while I showered and packed up, and by the time I was ready to go, I had beautifully separated almond milk.  I saved the “nut meat” as well… I’m planning on making some Bonobo-style nori wraps! (Note: this is 1/2 Gena‘s recipe.)

I made it home just in time to meet some friends for dinner.  We went to Brick Café, and although the service was a little slow, it worked out perfectly because we got to catch up and gab a lot.  It was pretty much everything a Sunday evening should be: good food, good friends, and relaxation.

I started with a piece of baguette, smeared with a generous portion of olive paté.

I was a little boring and just ordered the tuna niçoise salad (mixed greens, hard-boiled eggs- yolks removed, asparagus, olives, and potatoes), but it was good! I wasn’t a fan of the creamy dressing, so I just asked for oil and vinegar instead.

Once home, I curled up with an almond butter-smeared VitaBrownie and watched Stealing Beauty.  I really liked the film! I want to go back to Europe.

I didn’t sleep too well… I woke up at 4 AM with some of the scariest nightmares I’ve ever had, involving… Jeffrey Dean Morgan.  Denny, why do you do this to me?!

Have a happy Monday