Sweet Escapes

I feel like most of the time the weekends just fly by and it's hard to recount what actually even happened. Luckily, that was entirely not the case this weekend. Friday night was lazy, which as any one who has read my past entries knows are my favorite :) This weekend though I was staying in because I had to be up at 6:30 AM on saturday for a super special event....

Snow Tubing and Beer Tasting!! 

Another Groupon.com fabulous find ... this site is amazing in case you haven't checked it out. This particular event was put on by Urban Escapes. They have trips in Boston, NY, DC and Philly and basically offer a chance for city-livers, such as myself, to get out of the concrete jungle for a day and do somethings that they love and miss about the country! Rock climbing, hiking, white-water rafting, snow mobiling; the list goes on and on. My roommate and I definitely enjoy getting out of the city and doing something a little different so we paid the discounted fee and got all of this:

My toes fell off somewhere between the 5th and 6th run, so after lunch I sat with my wet foot on the furnace until I could feel something resembling my pinkie toe. ouuuchhhh. 

In the afternoon we hopped back on the bus and drop to Captain Lawrence Brewery for a little beer tasting with the group! I am a big fan of microbrews and we got a short explanation of how they make the beer there. 

Interesting Fact: a major differentiating factor in beer is water. Soft water is what makes for good beer brewing which is how the major beer cities get started (Munich, NY, etc). I had no idea!

There were five types of beer that we tasted: Liquid Gold, Pale Ale, Imperial IPA, Brown Ale, Espresso Stout. My favorite type of beer in general is Guiness, so it was no surprise that the Brown Ale was so good!!!  My roomie and I ended up walking out with a growler (yeaa picture a 40 of good beer) of Brown Ale, and a little buzz ;)

Getting out of the city even for just one day was a really great way to relax, have a great time, and let loose! 

Tonight I'm doing a little laundry, which had to get done and trying out a new recipe to fulfill my sweet potato craving that has been taking ovaaa lately.

[Faux] Sweet Potato Pie 

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes 

2/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped 

1/2 cup organic skim milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 

6 to 8 tablespoons melted butter (just used about 1 pat) 

1/2 cup granulated sugar (used Stevia packets and just sprinkles) 

1/2 package of phyllo dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, toasted pecans, milk, vanilla, and salt.  Mix well, until fully combined.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Place one sheet of the phyllo dough down and brush on a thin layer of butter, sprinkle sugar on top. Add another sheet of phyllo dough on top and repeat. I did this with three layers all together, but you can do up to four. Then cut the sheets in half.    

4. Place a heaping spoonful of the sweet potato mixture at the bottom of the dough and roll the phyllo up diagonally to make a triangle (remember folding a flag a girlscout camp? exactly like that).  Fold the triangle of phyllo over straight, then diagonally, continuing the pattern until you reach the end of the sheet and the filling is completely enclosed.  I cut the "flags" in half so the dough eventually was exposed but this was just to make the pastries/pies smaller. 

5. Place them on a tray and throw 'em in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they are browned. Finito!

Final Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of sweet potato but this wasn't my favorite dessert evaaa. I kind of just liked spooning out the insides. ;)

Happy sweet sunday folks

The Scheduler

Shout out to my jersey shore fans! It's a guilty pleasure, but I was recently introduced and can see myself indulging in it shamefully. Oh well!
The Scheduler is now my official Jersey Shore nickname, designated to myself by myself. After 2009 ended, I went a few weeks without a new planner and felt utterly and entirely lost and incompetant; picture the equivalent of a chicken with its' head cut off. I'm not sure if I just like to see things written down on paper, or if I really am so scatterbrained that plans, mentionings, appointments, etc. just go in one ear and out the other. However, if you ever talked to anyone that knows me, they would say that I am completely organized, on time and definitely Type-A. This is all due to my handy-dandy planner. I finally took myself to a bookstore and found this delightful little organizer/calendar/savior that was just perfect for me :)

See, I literally write down everything along with post-its and stickies (I swear I don't color coordinate...??) This way I know I won't forget things and I just feel calmer. Scheduling is definitely my way of feeling at ease and peaceful.

Is there anything that you do to make yourself feel more together?

Chi-caaaa-go!!

Hey all! I hope you had a great weekend, because I definitely did...I have been in Chicago since Thursday! Every time I go out there I have such a good time and I say to everyone, "I can't wait to move out here".... eventually I think I would like to but for now, I'll just stick to my weekend celebrations in the Windy City. Here's a recap of some seriously fabulous eats that took place :)

A coffee and reading at Newark prior to take off (I've been trying to get through Emma ever since my Jane Austen kick. It's taking a little longer than expected...) 

I decided to skip the complimentary turkey sandwich and kit kat bar and instead snacked on a Larabar and a bag of mini carrots. I wanted to make sure that I didn't get full because I know that myself and some co-workers were going to be hitting up this later....!!!
Mercat a la Planxa! Mercat is Chef Jose Garces restaurant, the winner of Iron Chef this year. I've been waiting to go to this place since I heard we were headed to Chicago so clearly I studied the menu in extravagant anticipation :) While I didn't take photos of everything, here are some of the star studded tapas. 

Seasonal Red Sangria 

Croquetas de Mariscos

Diver Scallops 

Bruschetta, Cana de Cabre (goats milk balsamic strawberries), and Costillas de Ternera (braised shortribs flatbread) 

 Serrano Ham and Fig Salad

 

Seriously everything was unbelievably amazing..and these were only a few of the things that we ordered! My favorite was the Pelotas de Calabaza y Cordero (butternut squash dumplings, lamb ragout, Beech Mushroom escabeche, black truffles) holy cow - holy incredible. mm mm mm

On to the rest of the weekend! On Friday I left the beautiful Westin River North and headed to Lincoln Park to stay with two of my girlfriends from college. We went out had a great time and caught up, and ended the night with a burger at Five Guys. Have you ever been there?? I haven't had a burger in [I can't remember how long ago]...needless to say this will add to the story later.. We woke up on Saturday and headed to brunch at Ann Sather Cafe. 

Apparently I just had to try the cinnamon buns, and so I did, and they were fabulous.

So warm and gooey! Along with that I got multigrain pancakes with fresh strawberries and a side of turkey sausage. I felt great while eating that..but as the day went on, my stomach got more and more uneasy. I could feel the Five Guys burger just chillin in my stomach and my stomach was NOT happy about it. Long story short, by the end of the night I felt like I had a mini dose of food poisoning or my stomach was just in shock from eating that greasy food again -- it's pretty crazy/incredible how things like that can effect your body! 

Has this ever happened to from eating something terrible and that you're just not used to??

Unfortunately I ended up curling up in a ball and falling asleep super early :( I woke up this morning and felt sooo much better, just a little weak. I'm hoping I regain some strength by tomorrow, but I dont think I will be eating burgers anytime soon! 

I ordered some snacks at O'Hare for my trip back, and the nice man at the Starbucks station gave me some free nuts to try! 

First time I tried Vanilla Rooibos Red Tea - Two Thumbs Up! 

Are there any other teas that you recommend?? I'm trying to get into tea...vs. my coffee addiction ;)
Ooof sorry for the long post but clearly I had a jam packed weekend and ate some jammin food! Looking forward to a great week :) except for the JETS loss :( Everyone at the airport was watching the end of the game lookin' sad .. tear

Memorable Weekend Eats

I swear I didn't eat this whole thing...but I wish :)

My mom and brother came into the city on a whim (definitely a perk to having my family close by!) and we all went out to lunch! If you are ever in New York and are having a hard time deciding what/where to eat, Chelsea Market is a no-fail solution. There is sooo much going on in there! After perusing the mutliple options available, we ended up at Friedman's deli. I was seriously in the mood for a sandwich, so I got the Vegetable with Turkey on sourdough bread. 

It was HUGE and delicious and messy. Just perfect :) Oh and a side of sweet potato fries. If they're on the menu, they are being ordered, let's be serious.

 I also was able to make myself a little quick and easy dinner on friday by following this recipe from Nourish Network with a few tweaks to suit my needs:

White Bean and Kale Ragout with Sweet Potato and Sausage

1 T olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 Chicken sausage (roasted red pepper but choose whatever flavor you like)

2 sweet potatoes (cut into cubes)

3 minced garlic cloves

4 cups of de-stemmed and chopped kale

1/2 cup of vegetable stock

1 can of cannellini beans, drained

1/2 can diced tomatoes, undrained

sea salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and sweet potato until bronzed. Sprinkle with S&P and then add the sausage and garlic. Cook for 2 more minutes, add kale and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender. Finito! 

Feeling good by Doing good

By now, I know that everyone is aware of the destruction that has taken place in Haiti. 80-90% of the buildings in Port-au-Prince have been destroyed, and although is it unconfirmed, there is talk of around 20,000-30,000 dead. While I have done my fair share of traveling overseas, and to other countries, I still live a rather privileged life in New York and do not pretend to know or understand the devastation that the Haitians and other inhabitants of Haiti are experiencing right now. I confess, I do not generally consider myself to be overly philanthropic. Yes I have been a part of Charity Leagues, and have volunteered a considerable amount of times over the past 4 years in college, and have even done Meals-on-Wheels in the city, it is not something that I dedicate a large amount of time in my life to, as selfish as that may sound. Still, something about the Haiti coverage really moved me (yes I cried at the Today show footage...) and I decided to do something about it. A girlfriend of mine works at CNN and has been doing some research of an organization called Charity:Water. Charity:Water is organizing a plane to leave New York on Tuesday (yes tomorrow!) and requested some items to fill 'er up! Working at a consulting firm, people are constantly bringing back toiletries that they pick up during their hotel stays for the few other charities that my company helps out. I made a special request and was able to gather up a rather large amount of soap and shower gels to donate! My girlfriend and I headed out on Saturday to donate and it was really incredible to see the large amount of items that they had collected already...

Another thing about Charity: Water that I find particularly interesting is the photos. They have some amazing pictures around the office of bringing clean, fresh water to developing countries, and their website photos are incredible as well. If you get a chance, definitely check them out. And if you live in New York, you can still donate! Just go to this site for details. Getting my butt out of bed on Saturday and doing something that would benefit other peoples lives really made me feel good. Perhaps that still makes this a selfish move, but if I can make myself feel better by doing better, and making someone else's life better, than I'll take that hands down ;)

23 or 70?

Clearly I have been MIA via the blog this week, but after reading you'll understand why, and maybe be able to relate? I started this week with a fabulous energy; I had a great weekend, work was looking manageable this week, I had a fun dinner planned for Thursday. And then, Monday hit. Mondays are always slightly difficult, but this one particularly drained me (for no apparent reason). Then Tuesday came along, and a similar draining effect took place. Wednesday was no exception and then Thursday, well lets just say I think I hit a wall. While I was able to make it to the gym on these days (working out in the morning I have learned that exhaustion and a slight sleeping haze are part of the routine) my eating habits were [slightly] off. Take yesterday. Below is a picture of some fruit combos, a handful of soy crips, and a 1/2 a chicken and spinach sandwich. Looks relatively normal and as though I covered all the bases huh?! Just so happens that this was after my normal lunch, plus an additional handful of chips and another half a sandwich...And this was just my lunch!
Needless to say I went home, after my dinner date was cancelled, and crashed. I'm pretty sure a 70 year old grandmother goes to bed later than I did last night! I cannot pinpoint what is making me so exhausted...lack of concentration/motivation, hormones, multi-tasking, diet?
Does this ever happen to you? Any suggestions?!

All I can say is TGIF and I'm looking forward to getting my 23 year old body back to feeling like a 23 year old should! Well, I might act like a grandma again tonight... ;) welcome back friday night lite

What did you do today?

Living up to my mantra this morning, I...

Definitely sweat :) Today I did interval training on the treadmill:

- 1 mile @ 7.0

- 10 minutes @ 5.0 incline

- 1 mile @ 7.2

- 10 minutes @ 6.0 incline

- 1 mile @ 7.0

- 10 minutes @ 5.0 incline

Followed by a killer Magic Circle Pilates Class at Power Pilates :) I've been doing pilates for a few years, not regularly though until I moved to New York. Since joining NYSC, I take these two pilates classes at the gym every Tuesday and Thursday. I thought they were great, until I started taking classes at Power Pilates. My body gets WORKED! And it feels fabulous! 

Any one have any other good workout suggestions?

On another note, got this in the mail today!

I love love love ab, and had heard about this kind but they don't sell it in any of the grocery stores near me :( but if you go to the website you can request some free samples! I also love love love free stuff ;) in case you couldn't tell. Speaking of free stuff, Eat Move Love is giving away a Gluten free cookbook - so go to the website and apply if you a) like baking b) like winning stuff or c) love baking. Good luck!

What did you do today?

Jump Start your Life

Good morning !! 

I saw this billboard on Caitlin's site last night:

There are six inspirational/motivating quotes on this board that I think ring so true to everyone and it's something that I want to try to incorporate in my daily routine, or make a part of my daily mantra [if you will]. 

Friends are more important than $$ - well DUH! but I want to keep this at the forefront of a lot of the decisions that I make in the future.

Stress is related to 99% of all illness - I had/have no idea if this is true or not, but it's a good rule to live by. I do know that stress has a visibly negative effect on my body, personally. When I was a Senior in high school I started having migraines so badly that I would get sick and need to go home from school. They stopped when I received my first college acceptance letter. Coincidence? I think not!

Dance, Sing, Floss, and Travel - Well hip hop classes and singing in the shower are a part of my weekly routine anyways so check ;) but seriously I think I probably need to floss better haha. Travelling, well ironically that comes with the job title but I need to travel for pleasure this year. A few trips planned already: St Johns (oh yea!!)

Boston

Snow Tubing in CT

Miami (still in the works)

Vegas?? 

Looks like I'm doing good so far!

Sweat once a day - I realized that my mood has become directly related to whether or not I get some sort of physical activity each day. Does this happen to you?? I'm going to try to keep fitting in some sort of workout/movement each day to keep me sane and healthy - any suggestions of fun activities are greatly appreciated!

Do something once a day that scares you - I think this is the best one on the board, as well as the hardest. Living life on the edge, or at least taking chances, keeps me motivated, energized, and appreciative of the things that come easy. In the future, I'm going to try to look back on each day and be able to pick out at least one moment where I did something exciting that I'm happy about or proud of. Any takers on joining me? :) I think this is going to be hard, because let's face it a cubicle doesn't exactly open doors to wild and crazy adventures. However, I think that it will be that much more rewarding if I manage to accomplish this (at least a few times a week). 

How do you feel about these messages? 

Spicy Sundays

My roomie and I started doing Spicy Sundays every week to fulfill A) our love of thai food and B) a nice romantic date for the two of us!  Candles are involved of course ;)

For Christmas I got this Thai & Asian cookbook so that we could start making our own Thai food at home - budget friendly ideas are always on my mind.

This cookbook is pretty cool because it includes appetizers, snacks, poultry, meat, veggie and dessert recipes! Also, the whole beginning goes into details about the culture and traditions involving food and ingredients in Thailand, China, Japan, Burma, etc. It then goes on about the different types of noodles, spices, veggies, sauces, [everything] that are in the book and how they are used and kept best. So much information and it was great to read while eating. Tonight I opted for a simpler recipe, there are a ton of ingredients and kitchen utensils that some of these recipes require that I don't have at the moment...future Christmas gifts?!

Stir-Fried Crispy Chicken

1 chicken breast **you can substitute in tofu as well

1 tbs coconut oil

1 tbs Thai green curry paste

2 tbs light soy sauce

1 tbs sugar

2/3 cup veggie stock

2 stalks of broccoli (cut to florets) **you can substitute in asparagus or carrot sticks as well

2 tbs of chopped roasted peanuts, unsalted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook the chicken for 30 minutes - or until done. 

Heat the coconut oil in a wok (definitely don't have this but a deep pan works just as well!) and add in the curry paste over MED heat. Stir continuously for about 1-2 minutes. 

Stir in the soy sauce, sugar and veggie stock and mix well. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the head to LOW so that the mixture is simmering. 

Add the broccoli (or veggie of choice) and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add in the chicken (cut into pieces) and the chopped peanuts. TOSS and voila!

I hope you had a great weekend :)

Pancake Breakfast!!

Spelt Pancake Recipe

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

sea salt - just a pinch!

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbs flax seed

1/2 cup organic skim milk

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and slap it on the griddle! It made about 5 silver dollar pancakes. 

I didn't have any syrup so instead I just used some strawberry jelly and some almond butter. On the side I had a banana w/ almond butter and raisins (seriously an unbeatable combo). Such a delightful sunday breakfast!

The Po' Girls Drink

I have tried to fight the addiction numerous times, but my love of coffee keeps coming back in full vengence. Unfortunately, my coffee machine broke a few months ago and the coffee at work, while free, is not.good.

Enter Christmas, where I asked Santa for some Starbucks gift cards. Seriously, what more could a bonafide coffee addict who passes 3, count 'em 3, Starbucks on her way to work want (and that's when I take the subway, forget about walking)! However, as much as I love it, Starbucks is expensive $$$ Here are some tips and tricks I've learned so that I can indulge as often as possible!

Poor Man's Latte

An iced doppio. Add milk.

Poor Man's Chai Latte

A chai tea misto with extra foam, two tea bags and a half pump of cinnamon syrup and half pump of vanilla syrup.

Refills

This happens to be something that I am definitley guilty of. Refills are only 50 cents! ($.54 with tax). If you buy a coffee in the morning and save the cup, then you can refill it whenever for cheaper than the carts on the street (for those non-NewYorkers, this is unheard of)! One downfall, the policy is actually for 50 cent refills if you are sitting in the 'buck only. However, I dont think that alot of baristas keep to this policy strictly; hopefully you'll be one of the lucky ones.

Starbucks Cards

One kind gentleman informed me yesterday that if I registered my Starbucks card then the refill would be free. Um whaaaat? I could have hugged the man. Be sure to register any gift card you get for some super sweet rewards!

**Just as a disclaimer, while I do use some of these cheapskate/genius tactics occassionally, I do also support the company by purchasing my $5 grande soy vanilla mistos pretty regularly :)

Ta ta for now - I think my coffee definitley kicked in this morning

Stonyfields and Greens

I'm really not entirely sure where this week has gone. I cannot believe that it is already Wednesday. I feel like once Wednesday is over with, the rest is just a breeze :) Don't you?? 

Nothing too exciting today but I did have a few of my favorite things pop into the picture..

First, I started off with another great workout - this time working my arms :)

• Lateral cable raises (3 sets of 12)
• Stability Ball Pushups (these were super hard and I only got out 3 sets of 10 -- and they were pathetic looking :/ )
• Tricep dips (my favorite!! 3 sets of 15)
• Treadmill for 15 minutes (CLIMB: warm up 5 min, increase the incline 1 level every minute for 10 minutes, decrease by 1 level for 5 min)
• Dumbbell Tricep Extention (3 sets of 15)
• Stability ball chest press (3 sets of 12)
• Dumbell shoulder press (3 sets of 12)
• Treadmill [again] (SPRINT: vary speed each minute - sprinting 1, jog 1, etc. for 15 minutes)
• I followed this up with a nice and sweaty 30 minute "power walk on an incline" bc I had some time to kill :)

I came back to the apt and created one of these:

Oh yes, yes a green monsterrrr. Alas, I had no fruit :( so this was kind of more of a protein shake + a few handfuls of spinach. It wasn't bad actually because I added a secret ingredient. (a few drops of vanilla extract cures anything) 

Midday I had one of my favorite snacks that I have recently discovered. A Stonyfield Organic Yogurt! I usually will add some almonds, granola, or fruit to these, unless it's the Key Lime Pie flavor. So strange I hate actual Key Lime Pie, but the Stonyfield yogurt is unreal!! I love it so much I just entered this Stonyfield give away: Check it out!

I started eating Organic Dairy a few months ago, after my dermatologist recommended it for my skin. She related it to all of the hormones, etc. that can go into typical dairy that you might by at the store. I had never really considered eating organic but at the time, my skin was in such disarray that I would try ANYTHING. I have found that there are a ton of benefits to eating organic foods. For example, by switching to organic dairy alone you are:

1. Avoiding hormones and antibiotics
2. Supporting sustainable agriculture
3. Creating less waste and pollution
4. Helping to reduce global warming
5. Making yourself pretty from the inside out ;)

While I think that eating organic dairy has helped my skin and overall feeling, that doesn't mean I stay away from cheese and cracker platters at parties, or skimp on my usual ice cream fix topped with chocolate. But as an general shopping/stocking my refrigerator move, I try to follow this plan. Give it a try, see how you feel!

Up and [Atom/Adam]?

I started writing the title to this post and realized that I have no actual clue as to how this saying is spelled, or what it is saying at all. Turns out, after a little research, that the saying is Up and At 'Em! I guess I could have figured this out if I had used my brain a little, but it's early...and this guy hasn't kicked in yet...

Oh and just for reference, we got the saying from Duke Wellington's command orders at Waterloo, "Up Guards and At 'Em!" in case this ever shows up on Trivia night ;)

I woke up early this morning and hit the gym with a new killer workout that I read about on Meg's Blog.

PART 1:
Warm up for 3 minutes at 6.5
3-5 minutes at speed 6.8
3 intervals (1 minute each) at speed of 8.0,6.8,8.0
3 minutes at 6.8
2 minutes recovery at speed 6.5
PART 2:
5 minutes at speed 7.0
5 intervals (1 minute each) at speed of 8.0, 7.0, 8.0,7.0, 8.0
5 minutes at speed 7.0
5 minutes recovery at speed 6.8
PART 3:
3 minutes at speed 7.5
3 intervals (1 minute each) at speed of 8.6,7.2, 8.6
3 minutes at speed 7.5
5 minute COOLDOWN @ 6.5
1 minute walking at 3.5

Followed by an additional killer leg workout from Gina's blog:

• Forward and reverse lunges (3 sets of 12 on each side)
• Squat Jumps (25)
• Sumo squat and leg raise (3 sets of 10 on each side)
• Burpees (15 - these killed me!)
• Stability Ball Hamstring Curl (3 sets of 10)
• Pulsing Plie Squat (60 seconds/pulses)
• Bosu Calf Raise (3 sets of 15)

It was a great way to start off the morning, along with a green monster and one of Angela's Be Fit Bars. Clearly i was very impacted by the blogosphere this morning :) Have a great day!

Eat for Good Luck!

I feel like I am doing all of my new years/twenty-ten posts a little late, but better late than never right!?? As a partial food slash better living blog, what could be more appropriate than a posting on food that will bring better luck in the new year ... nothing were my thoughts exactly :)

For as long as I can remember my family would make sausage and sauerkraut on New Years Day for dinner (a polish tradition). Sound appetizing? It's really not actually...but all in the spirit of having a happier and healthier year ahead. Here's the theory:

• Cabbage (or greens in general) can be associated with money and will bring good fortune and wealth. 
• Sauerkraut, in particular, has long strands which symbolize long life.  
• Pork has a rich fat content, again standing for wealth and prosperity, as well as progress since pigs dig with their snout in a forward motion. 
  

Cabbage is not necessary the best tasting thing, but it is super good for you! It's rich in fiber and has TONS of Vitamin C. Most importantly/interestingly, cabbage has a naturally occuring compound called indoles. Some research has shown that indoles can actually lower the risk of certain types of cancers (hello long life).

In keeping up with tradition, I made my New Years Day dinner tonight! Only about 4 meals late oops..

I had sauerkraut and [chicken] sausage, with asparagus and a sweet potato on the side. I had no idea how to cook sauerkraut so I just threw it in the pain with the sausage and a little soy sauce? We had slim pickins in the freezer/pantry today and clearly I couldn't even buy any actual pork. Ahh the joys of living on your own :) 

Here's to wealth, progress, and a long and healthy life!