World's Worst Blogger

I admit it.  I am a terrible blogger.  I have been insanely busy with work for the past week or so, and so both cooking food and writing about food have taken a backseat to getting sustenance and moving on.  This, of course, doesn't mean I haven't been eating SOME exciting things... :)

I am going to have to recap in segments because otherwise I will be up all night.

Exciting food update #1: Ithaca, NY.
That's right... I went to Cornell!

Last Sunday afternoon I flew up to Ithaca for a 2 night IBM recruiting trip.  I sort of regretted flying there, because those little prop planes are so annoying, and it takes almost as long as driving does, door to door.  However, it must have been fated to be, since I had not one, but TWO "celebrity" sightings on my flights!  Bill Nye (the Science Guy!) on my way to Ithaca, and my good friend Alex on the way back.  Not really a celebrity, but just as exciting, since it was entirely unexpected.  The flight was pretty empty, so we sat next to each other and caught up on the way to NYC.  I also had the good fortune of discovering the US Airways terminal at LaGuardia... um, American Airlines has some serious work to do.  This terminal was gorgeous and full of acceptable food options.  Yay!  I had debated bringing lunch with me, but Allison said the food choices were decent, so I held out.  Glad I did!  I ended up getting a perfect little lunch of honey Fage and pretzel chips with Sabra hummus.  Has anyone ever bought those Sabra travel packs?  The ratio of hummus to dippers is actually disturbing.  Does anyone eat that much hummus in one sitting?  Gross.

Monday morning was the IBM Interview Day.  I, of course, made a pit stop at CTB on the commomns on my way to campus for a small Love Buzz and a San Diego on sesame with Philly Light, please.  I made a rookie mistake by transporting it on a 10 minute walk outside, so it got a little cold, but it was still, as always, divine.  An ex co-worker was there for recruiting too, so we got to catch up during the interviews, since our sole responsibility was to greet the candidates, i.e.: stand there and look pretty.  Check and check!  And I even got to see my busy busy lawyer friend Kristen both Sunday and Monday nights for 2 classic Ithaca dinners: Maxie's and Wegmans.  At Maxie's I got a vegetarian jambalaya and Kristen and I split fried green tomatoes.  I've always been curious, and these lived up to the hype. Then at Wegmans I went for--you guessed it--the VEGGIE BAR.  I am hopelessly obsessed with Wegmans vegetarian bar.  I had some AWESOME roasted acorn squash, mashed butternut squash, a little mac 'n' cheese, the best grilled veggies on earth, and something else (probably a protein) that was obviously inferior, since I can't remember it a week later.  And yes, I WOULD remember.  I also took the oppportunity to buy some local Cortland apples and a bunch of pears, since it's such a happy place to buy groceries.  Love you, Weggies!

I snuck in another CTB trip before my flight on Tuesday morning, this time at the CTB in Collegetown.  I set up with my laptop and worked for a few hours, something I actually don't think I ever did in college.  Too much buzz for actually getting work done.  Thankfully college students are still asleep at 7:30am, so I got some stuff done.  Brain power, aka soy Love Buzz cafe au lait:

And, while I didn't get a pic with San Diego #1 or #2, I have a photo shoot from our summer trip to Ithaca instead.

That, my friends, is the glory of raspberry jalapeno spread.  A.MA.ZING.

It was really nice to be in Ithaca, and reminded me how refreshing it can be to live somewhere less crowded than NYC.  Cornell is always abuzz with people, but it's not the same sort of sensory over-stimulation that NY sometimes provides for me.  I spent a few hours at CTB on the commons on Monday evening (yes, 3 times in 36 hours), and it was like, "Wow, this place is... EMPTY."  When is anything ever empty in NY?  And I mean some place great, not any old dump of a place.  Anyway, I was really happy to be back, but I think still glad I was just visiting.

More cooking fun to come!  I have a few interesting creations to share, as soon as I can get my act together to blog again.  Hopefully soon!

p.s. Just had the WORST toe spasm ever.  I actually called my mom.  I was kind of laugh-crying because it was so hilariously painful.  Lasted like 5 minutes!  Don't worry, all better now.

Losing My Touch

Not only have I been a lazy blogger, but I have also lost my well-known ability to pull all-nighters working.  I am going to blame last night's failed attempt on the preceding week, during which I never got more than 5-6 hours of sleep each night.  All-nighters are usually best executed when otherwise well-rested.  So, my bad for blatantly ignoring what I know is a cardinal rule.

After starting my day already exhausted, I only made it to 1:45am before my brain stopped working.  I was literally stuck on two thoughts/mental images and COULD NOT progress past them.  I wish I could remember what they were, because they were totally unrelated ideas and it was kind of funny.  I want to say that one was a woman who works at the IBM office who I don't know at all, and the other was something yellow.  Polenta?  No matter what I tried to think about, I could only picture those two things.  That's never happened to me before -- that sort of mental block -- but it was discouraging enough that I knew it was time to just go to sleep.  As a result I was totally unprepared for my meeting this morning, and while no one noticed, I was disappointed because I knew that I still had lots of questions but not enough information to ask them effectively -- I didn't know what I didn't know.  Weeeeeird.

At some point before I apparently went crazy, I snapped this picture at the office.  Check out the view from the 18th floor!  The Blackberry totally doesn't do this sunset justice.  It was gorgeous.

As for foodie news, you're just going to have to stay posted.  My camera battery is dead, so I need to charge it before I can even upload pictures.

Teasers:

- CTB.  Wegmans.  'Nuff said.

- Polenta, broccoli rabe, and shrimp

- Banana soft serve

I am supposed to run a 10K on Saturday morning, but at the moment I am too tired to even dream about that.  I better make some sort of major recovery tomorrow.  I haven't even been for a real run in like 3 weeks.  Yikes!  Actually, in true foodie fashion, I think the only reason I want to do it right now is the temptation of Buttermilk Channel brunch afterward.  Alex, now would be a good time to tell me if that is no longer part of the plan, because then I'm calling it a wash and staying home in bed!

Mmmmm bed.

Another New Discovery!

I almost forgot!  A discovery, in bar form:

Clif Nectar Cacao.  This was dark chocolate walnut.  I can't believe I'm saying it, but this was BETTER than a Larabar.  Somehow even more dense, so it took me a while to eat, and really chocolatey.  And lower calorie/higher fiber/lower fat!!!  Check it out.  Comes with my seal of approval.

Oh, also that apple behind it is HUGE, and it's dwarfing the bar, but I swear it's normal sized.

Welcome to Dallas

One day I would like to make a list of all the ways in which Dallas is the polar opposite of New York, but for now I will give you this special road sign.  I find Dallas absolutely impossible to navigate, and signs like this most certainly do not help:

Oh, duh, I'll just exit here and turn loop or loopy-loop.

Pardon?

I also, actually, find it incredibly difficult to communicate with the natives.  I asked someone at the hotel for a pen, and she looked at me confused, maybe even slightly disturbed, and said, "A what?"  "A pen?"  "What?"  "A... pen?" [pretending to write]... "OH!  You want a PAAAY-EN."  Oops!  I forgot to say it in 3 syllables.  My bad!  I actually think it's kind of cute, but literally makes communication difficult sometimes.

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

Well, I am basically Christopher Columbus with all the discovering I did today. (Yes, I'm still bitter toward those of you who got Columbus Day off.  Not a real holiday, people!)

Discovery 1: They have oatmeal at the AA cafeteria.  GOOD oatmeal.  I've only been working there since January... I'm not sure why you'd think I'd have figured that out by now. Oops. I would like to say, though, that it cost $2, and I'm not even sure it costs that much at Starbucks.  So much for subsidies.

Discovery 2: Do not expect good food when you go out for lunch with people with bad taste.  Today, the first day we have ever eaten lunch outside of the office, I was taken to a Chinese buffet.  AACK!  Why do people like those? I actually had a decent hot and sour soup and lots of steamed veggies, but it was not at all satisfying.  I ended up having a mini Almond Joy at our meeting after lunch and then my Larabar (Chocolate Coconut Chew -- so good!) a few hours later.  I did get a pretty sweet fortune from my fortune cookie.  I hope it's on to something...

I'm ready for a change!

Discovery 3: People do not know how to drive in this city.  Merging is not bad!  Merging is not scary!  JUST GO.  I yelled at a lot of cars today.  Better than yelling at people, no?  I also saw the most ridiculous road sign today.  Thanks to the slow moving traffic, I was able to snag a pic with my Blackberry, so I need to figure out how to get it on here.

And, lastly, Discovery 4: Spinning!  Joanna introduced me to her friend David about a month ago.  He lives in Dallas, but is a transplant from Westchester.  We were cut from the same cloth, he and I.  We talk food, GI tracts, more food, and travel.  I really just enjoy having a peer to hang out with.  Makes Dallas way more tolerable.  Tonight we went to a spinning class at his gym!  I haven't done spinning in years, and I remembered it being crazy hard, but this class wasn't bad at all.  He said it was an easy class today, but I think we all know it's just because I'm such a super athlete.  Obviously.  I really enjoyed it either way and would love to go to more classes.  This is why I need to join a real gym, with real facilities.

After spinning, we went for a sweaty dinner at Pei Wei, which is like Chipotle gone Chinese, kind of.  Yes, 2 Chinese meals in one day.  I am always grateful when people make recommendations, so I wasn't going to challenge David when he suggested it.  And I actually REALLY liked it.  It was light, fresh, and it felt like something I could have made for myself at home, which is what I crave when I travel.  I got the Mandarin Kung Pao or something: brown rice (a TON of it), and stir-fried tofu, broccoli, snap peas, peanuts, and carrots.  I mostly picked it for the peanuts.  I don't remember exactly what the sauce was, but it was just the right amount of salty, sweet, and spicy.  A big hit with me.

No pics because I don't want new friends to think I'm nuts, even if he is the best audience that I could imagine for this topic.

The night ended with a trip to Whole Foods because we were near my old hood by the Doubletree (before I discovered the infinitely superior hotel that I stay in now).  The Whole Foods in that area is a lot better than the one I go to now, so I thought I'd bop in for nostalgic purposes.  I got some granola, some "trail mix" (ok, fine, chocolate, raisins, and almonds), and the new Stonyfield flavor that I've been looking for!!!

Sadly, I have to confess that it was underwhelming.  I think I prefer fruit (or flavor) on the bottom yogurts to pre-blended.  It was good, just not life-changing, as I wish all of my yogurt experiences could be.

I also bought a red red lipstick at CVS for funsies.  I was having trouble picking a color, and then I saw that L'Oreal had a celebrity selection, so I decided to go with Penelope Cruz's red.  Will report back later on whether or not I instantly become a smoking hottie.

Oat Fail

Ugh, this morning I tried to make instant oatmeal at the hotel to bring with me to work, but it was actually almost inedible.  Partly because it wasn't so warm anymore by the time I ate it, and partly because I managed to put in too much water, despite being convinced that it was not nearly enough.  Just bad news.  Luckily, though, the Executive Lounge had little containers of peanut butter, which certainly made the oatmeal better, but definitely not good.  Oatmeal fail.

I've tried lots of breakfast solutions and have yet to come up with a good one.  I've made oatmeal at the hotel: obvious fail.  I've bought coffee and oatmeal at Whole Foods: tastes the best but usually cold by the time I get to work.  I've bought coffee and oatmeal at Starbucks: the coffee is so blech there and the oatmeal is like ultra-instant, if that exists.  And breakfast at the hotel is seriously lacking in oats.  I suppose [sigh] that I could go oat-less once in a while.  They have hard boiled eggs and a good fruit salad (and bananas today!!!), so I can try to make it work.  Suggestions?  Oh, I think I should also check out the cafeteria at work.  Despite it being my least favorite place to eat in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, it's possible that they have oatmeal, or at least hot water for instant.  So much research to do!

I brought this instant oatmeal packet from home, and a Larabar for snack today before my Tuesday ritual: the Whole Foods run.

The salad bar at work must have heard my cries of despair, because it has been so well-stocked lately!  The lettuce has been fresh, and the veggies plentiful.  What more could a girl want?  Never mind, I could think of about 8,000 things I want more than a fibrous lunch.  Top of my wish list is a French press.  Not totally sure why.

Anyway, here are some lovely photos of this week's room.  Back in the nice part of the hotel, in a corner room "junior suite".  What does the junior suite award me?  Why, take a peek!  I get...

...an extra 5 square feet!  And...

...a bathroom rug IN ADDITION to a bathmat.  Baller?  Baller, indeed.  And...

...a robe.  Yay?  Like I would ever put that thing on.  Ick, who knows if they wash it!

Thank you, junior suite!  What a treat.  I can only hope to one day find out what the senior suite is like.

Tonight's dinner was, of course, from Whole Foods.  I got my usual weirdo mish-mash of wonderfulness.  Veggie soup, which I totally scarfed before a photo could happen.

A lovely oddball salad of spinach, roasted carrots, BBQ tofu, sauteed string beans, some sliced turkey, and the feature ingredient...

KALE!  It was a little lemony and spicy.  Yum.

Every week I think, maybe I should go somewhere that isn't Whole Foods?  And every week I'm glad I didn't.  So great :)  Off to bed so I can wake up in the pitch black morning to work out.  Sad story.  When is daylight savings coming?!?!?!

The Art of the Leftover

One of the most frustrating things about traveling for work is trying to figure out how much food I can keep in stock.  I have become an extremely strategic grocery shopper.  Ok, let's be real, I always have been.  One time the cashier at Food Emporium actually complimented me on my savings for the day.  Regardless, I've had to up the ante.  I hate wasting food -- it hurts my heart -- so I have to keep enough fresh food in the house to keep me happy, but not so much that I end up throwing some out.

I left for Dallas today, so for breakfast I made a sacrifice and added leftover apple crisp to my oatmeal.  (Ironic Oats?)

I made this wonderful apple crisp (care of Mark Bittman, of course) last Friday for the dinner that I hosted, and I wasn't about to let it go to waste, so I added some as a topping to my oatmeal.  Obviously not something I can do every day, but OMG delicious.  And maybe not actually that bad for you?  Fruit? Ha.

For lunch I finished off an open container of soup and a leftover sauce to jazz it up a little.  My mom got me the best vegetarian cookbook a while ago by Nava Atlas, and one of my favorites from the book is a peanut butter cilantro/parsley sauce.  This time I used parsley instead of cilantro because it's what I had, but I think I like it better with cilantro.  Anyway, I put this on pasta last week, but I thought the leftovers might go well with my sweet potato soup.  I was correct!  Just stirred it in a little bit of it.

I paired it with some roasted sweet potatoes and rainbow carrots, which I made last night with way too much cayenne pepper.  Oops.  Still tasty.

Nice depth of field, eh?

I like to bring dinner with me to the airport in general because the only edible thing at the American terminal is Cosi, and that hardly cuts it for me.  But today it was extra important to bring something because of my challenge for the month!  And I think a pre-made Cosi salad might count as fast food.

I put together a veggie burger sandwich on Ezekiel sesame bread.

The veggie burger's not on there yet :)

That's BBQ sauce on one side, Sabra supremely spicy hummus on the other (they're not messing around, by the way -- that stuff is HOT), red onion, and pumpkin seeds (a totally inspired decision, but an excellent one!).  I got desperate with the condiments since I had no actual veggies.  Ironically, I used an Amy's Texas veggie burger.  Ha!  That should be a daily challenge for me: locate veggie burger in Dallas.

I also packed a pear in a blanket for the plane.

Sorry, it's sidewise, but I'm not reloading it.

I'll be honest for a brief moment -- today was a rough single girl day.  Hence the dessert for breakfast and the brownie (homemade!  also care of Mark Bittman!) I brought for dessert on the plane.  I am 1000% guilty of being an emotional eater.  When I'm stressed I eat anything and everything, but when I'm upset, as I was today, I lose my appetite for all things savory.  I have no problem, however, with the carby, sweet things.  (See above.)  I'm feeling better and empowered now, and I don't feel at all guilty about the way I ate today.  I didn't binge... I had a single serving of apple crisp and a small brownie.  Sugar has its place in the diet, and comfort foods are called just that for a reason.  Did it solve my problems?  No.  But it did soothe me, and I ate what my body was physically (not mentally!) craving, which is what I think we're meant to do.  And, of course, I was extremely effective in clearing out the fridge!  Points all around.

I close with a mature anlaysis of dating, provided (published) by my previous employer, Workman Publishing Co.

Lazy, Stressed, Umami

I watched about 15 minutes of Top Chef this morning with my breakfast, and the challenge was pretty fun.  They each got 3 words that would serve as the inspiration for their dish.  I took 3 from the show that I relate to this week:
LAZY: Just not interested in writing these scripts that I am working on.
STRESSED: My project manager is in Manila potentially being monsooned upon, but mostly to deliver training to our project's contact center there.  Since I'm second in command (yay two-person projects!), I am holding down the fort in his absence.
UMAMI: I have been insanely hungry all week.  Not munchy, not bored, HUNGRY.  Like, at 10:30am I am legitimately ready for lunch.  And I just keep wanting more protein.  Raar.

So, if you wanted to cook up a bowl of Freya, your dish should probably be super simple, cooked quickly at a high temperature, and meaty.

I have done some experimental cooking this week myself.  Last Friday (I'm a week behind?!), Katie came over and I passed on the granola wisdom of Mark Bittman.  We made a fabulous batch of the stuff, and split it up so she could take some home.  I feel like it wasn't as sweet this time, but I'm not sure why because we added enough honey.  I suppose I am going to have to make another batch to find out.  Next time I need new ingredients, though.  Getting sick of my combo already.

Earlier that night, I actually dabbled in another Mark Bittman recipe: PESTO!  I had leftover fresh basil from the farmers market, so I figured I'd put it to use.  I used less oil than he called for, but I still found it incredibly oily!  And I LOVE olive oil.  It's almost shocking to hear me say the words.  I also used too much garlic.  I'm actually now wondering if the problem was not enough basil... entirely possible.  The flavors were right on, just not perfect proportions.  I'd give it a second chance.

Hello, food processor!  Best birthday gift ever!  This year I would like a French press and a grill pan.

During the week that I decided I was gluten-intolerant, I bought gluten free pasta at Whole Foods, since it was on sale.  It was tasty, but texturally only decent -- I'm not sure that "al dente" exists anywhere along their scale of doneness.  I used it as the base for my pesto, and then sprinkled with ricotta salata, which may be one of my new favorite cheeses.  I am actually not crazy about cheese in general and really prefer hard cheeses (with the exception of goat cheese and fried camembert... mmm).  So, while manchego might be my favorite, this stuff is pretty awesome.  Um, it's a good thing I didn't leave my house that night, because I was seriously rocking the garlic breath after this.  Eek.

Saturday night, Katie, Joanna, Brenda, and I trekked up to West Harlem for Senegalese food.  I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised!  A lot of rice and couscous bases with some fish, some grilled meat, and some rich vegetable/meat stews.  I had lamb maffe, which was sort of a hearty stew with a peanut base, root vegetables, and lamb on the bone.  The lamb was a little fatty, but other than that, delicious.  We're going back!  Next time I'm getting the (questionably) grilled whole fish.  I wanted to asked what kind of fish it was, but Katie and Brenda didn't think I would get an answer.  That kind of restaurant.

Sunday!  Sunday morning my friends and I participated in the Walk to the Cure for Diabetes Research.  It was a 10K walk, which I think felt worse the next day than a 10K run would have felt!  Ouch.  I always forget that walking is actually a really gratifying form of exercise.  I need to keep that in mind for days when I'm feeling lazy.  Here is the Brooklyn Bridge, on that perfect autumn morning.

It's no secret that I'm not a morning person, but I actually do enjoy being up early on the weekends. After the walk we had some free lunch care of Au Bon Pain, and then Amanda and I went to Berrywild.  Banana frozen yogurt.  Best dessert ever.  Hands down.  I put chocolate covered pretzels in mine.  And some blueberries, which actually froze in the cup!  Yum.

After successfully locating the broiler setting on my oven (thanks, Mom and Dad!), I made blackened tilapia using a recipe I can't find online now.  Really good!  Just the fish, olive oil, and a bunch of spices, all of which I already had in the house.  Success!  And broiled for less than 10 minutes.

I had some okra fries with that.  This batch of okra was fresh from the farmers market, and totally perfect.  Not at all slimy.  I used pretty much the same spices on the okra as I did on the fish: salt, pepper,chili powder, and some paprika.  I did have to eat in shifts, though, because the fish needed to broil, and the okra to bake.

More meal tidbits:

A lovely salad:

- farm fresh arugula
- roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets
- lentils
- parsley
- red pepper
- walnuts
- ricotta salata
- lemon juice

Escarole!  I ate an entire head of it and felt a little sick after... but it was great.  I love leafy greens, and I especially enjoy watching them wilt in the pan.  I cooked it with a little sesame oil and some garlic, and I topped it with sesame seeds that I bought from the Whole Foods UWS on Saturday night from the bulk section.  I LOVE buying in bulk.  Really, I just enjoy having control over what I'm getting and how much of it.  The 20 cents' worth of sesame seeds I bought should last months!

Oh, and yes, those are TJ's soy nuggets you see creeping into the picture.

I leave you with an anomaly.  This week, I ate a breakfast that was NOT oatmeal.  You read that correctly.  NOT oatmeal.  I just wasn't feeling it, and I had this beautiful farmers market white nectarine to eat.  I am extremely picky about oatmeal-appropriate fruits, and peaches/nectarines/plums/strawberries are not allowed in my oatmeal temple.  But they all taste great in yogurt, and so I give you the perfect yogurt parfait.  Amazing.

- 1 plain Oikos
- 1 white nectarine (probably the last of the season)
- Barbara's Shredded Oats
- Mark Bittman granola
- slivered almonds
- maple pecans

Now I am going to get back to avoiding my work.  Later I will give an update on my other challenge!

Another Day, Another Challenge

Sorry for the negligent blogging.  I've actually been cooking up a storm lately and have many exciting meals and healthy musings to share.

As for my newest challenge(s), after careful consideration, I have selected my month-long feat to complete: fast-foodless.  The description here gives you a fair amount of leeway, which I appreciate, because I think the idea of slow vs. fast foods really lies on a spectrum.  There's slow food, as in the slow food movement, which implies local, homemade, and farm fresh cooking (to me, at least).  And then there's fast food, as in McDonald's.  But if we're going to be realistic about today's food environment, there's also slow food that comes from reliable grocery stores and large corporate brands, as well as fast food that comes in the form of a salad.  In other words, slow is not synonymous with health food, and fast is not synonymous with junk.  Like the site says, eating slow(ly?) is about honoring the food.

And so, since I think this challenge fits best with my food philosophy, it won my vote.  Others that I was considering include vegetarianism (been there, done that), veganism (will never see the point), and not snacking after 9pm (sometimes I don't eat dinner until after 9pm!).  I think I am going to set the following rules:

- no pre-packaged meals (this includes pre-made salads, sandwiches, and sushi)
- veggie burgers, frozen veggies, frozen fruits, packaged Lara/Luna bars: yes
- frozen burrito: no
- Pax salads ????  (I wanted to say yes because I design the salad, but now I'm not sure.  What about Whole Foods salad bar?  I think yes.)

Pizza?  That's probably a no, unless it's like Otto or something.  I was going to say no chains, but that knocks out something like Whole Foods... thoughts PLEASE!

I may think of it as eating with brain-involvement.  I need to make active choices about every element of what I'm choosing to eat, and at the very least thinking about where it came from.

Turns out I forgot my camera cord, so I can't upload photos of what I ate recently, but I will do this later!  Sorry for the lack of photos!

A NEW Challenge

As cool kids with kickass social lives often do, Katie and I went to Whole Foods last Saturday night around 9:30pm.  This after a lovely tour of 116th street, a view of the exterior of Morningside Park, and a close encounter with the wrath of a mean-spirited bus driver.  However, upon entering the safe haven of the new Whole Foods on the Upper West Side, our luck was inevitably about to change.  Katie spotted a flyer that was no doubt fated to end up in my hands.

A blog CHALLENGE?!  Here I come!

Check out the Feats on the right, and help me pick 10 of them!  There are a bunch that sound super easy, but I'm having trouble choosing my collection of "feats to complete".  Especially the month long one!  I'm thinking about fast food?  Not that I ever eat at McDonalds or anything, but I feel like Pax or Hale and Hearty Soups are both "fast foods" in their own rite, and it would be difficult to cut them out.  Either that or going vegetarian for the month, but that would mean no fish too!  And that might get tough.  Hmmm... looking for feedback.

I have some food posts for later this evening!

Lentil Epicenter

Wednesday night, 11:54pm.  About ready for bed, and rummaging through my kitchen cabinet for a rubber band.  Not even sure now why I needed a rubber band, but I wanted one.  Bad.  I began digging through bags of nuts and grains, blindly sticking my hand into the back looking for my little baggie of rubber bands and twistie ties, when all of a sudden...

WOMP WOMP.  What is that?  An infestation of ants?  No, no, just half a pound of lentils ALL OVER MY FLOOR.  I managed to knock over the plastic container of lentils and they ended up all over the place.  UGH it was such a mess.  It was funny too, but mostly sad because I was really ready for bed.  That little empty space near the, um, lentil epicenter is where I was standing.  Sad day.  So I got my trusty dustpan and sweepie brush and cleaned it all up.  Tada!

So sad :(  I debated keeping them and washing them (?) but our kitchen floor is in desperate need of cleaning.  I wasn't taking my chances with the varied types of nastiness that might be lurking there.

Especias Surtidas

Happy Thursday!

I started my work week off on the wrong foot by not going into the office, and I think it set me up for epic productivity failure.  As much as I'm not a huge fan of being out in Dallas, I at least have structure to my days when I'm there.  I enjoy the freedom of working from home, but I think I abuse it a little sometimes.  I get distracted with personal stuff I need to do when I work from home (by home I mean my apt), and 1 hour turns into 4.  I managed to really waste a lot of time today, and I'm frustrated by it.  Blah.  I should know better by now, but working from the apt was just too tempting today.

One of the pluses, though, was that I got to make all my meals, and I didn't have to plan ahead.  I used to buy my lunch about half the times I went into the office, but lately I've been avoiding it.  I find that I'm just more satisfied by the lunches (and planned hourly snacks...) that I make at home.  And it saves moolah, of cour$e!

I experimented this morning with putting cottage cheese (I buy the whipped, spreadable kind because I don't like how runny the other is) on my challah as a pre-gym snack.  It was definitely not bad, but I'm not running back to it.  It only tasted good on the raisin-heavy bites.  At the gym today, I tried to keep up my speed on the treadmill, inspired by last weekend's race time, but it was HARD!  The race atmosphere must really be a bigger factor than I thought.  I did 1 mile at 8:00 and it was too hard!  I had to slow down.  I also find that I don't do a great workout unless I've been awake for at least an hour... but since I'm not waking up at 5am anytime soon, I will just continue to save hard workouts for the weekend when I have more time.

For my actual breakfast, I used up the rest of my MojaMix, which at this point was mostly cacao nibs and chia seeds with a few oats in there somewhere.  I combined that with some regular oats.  The result was very flavorful, although I wish the little seeds hadn't sunk to the bottom of the bag.  What is a chia seed, you ask?  Excellent question.  In my expert seed opinion, I have deemed chia to be the next flax.  They're an ancient Aztec thing, packed with omega-3s and amino acids.  They're the little black specks in my oats.  Very up-and-coming in the natural foods world.  Mark my words, you heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen.

Lunch was a highlight for me, and something that is very versatile.  I give you: my signature potato salad!  Based on a potato salad my host mom used to make, and reinterpreted based on what I remember it tasting like.  I change it up a little every time I make it, but today's salad included:

- several small varied potatoes from the farmers market (I just pick ones that are said to hold up to boiling), chunked
- 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced (but I think I prefer them quartered)
- ~2 tbsp EVOO
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp minced shallot (red onion is good too)
- 1 tsp capers
- 1/2 tsp "especias surtidas" (A secret Spanish blend I bought in Sevilla -- uh-oh, just realized that means it's 3 years old... bad?  I think paprika and oregano would work ok instead.  Unless you're going to Espana this week.)
- salt and pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste

Mix it all up, and it's GREAT.  I like adding fresh or roasted bell peppers for a little texture and moisture, but the capers were surprisingly good at filling that role.  I love this stuff, and it really cooks up quickly.  I cut the potatoes first, so they only boil about 10 mins, and I do the eggs way ahead of time.  They're better cold than hot, and I actually like this salad best at room temperature.  And it travels well!  It will be tomorrow's lunch at the office.

I got hungry while I was waiting for the potatoes to cool, so I cooked up some leftover baked eggplant with fresh basil and chili paste.  I REALLY wished I had had coconut milk to cook it in, but no such luck.  It's funny -- I forgot to add salt and pepper, and the first few bites were just so bland.  After I added just a little of each, the whole thing turned around!  I would really love to learn how to season foods appropriately.  I'm very hit or miss.

Dinner was a very delicious and un-photogenic noodle kugel and some super sweet honeydew, a la Mommy.  Just as good the 2nd time around!  I think that one of my favorite add-ins to anything is cooked raisins.  Mmmm plump and juicy.  So good.  Maybe I can snag the recipe for that one?

Conclusion for the day: Working from home gives me more flexibility in terms of being able to wake up late and still go to the gym (I got back to the apt at 8:40, then showered, then bfast, etc. etc.).  I can also cook what I want when I want it, but it's a huge distraction.  And I ended up snacking a lot with my friends Vinny Chase, Lloyd Lee, and Blair Waldorf.  And so, as much as I hate to say it, the office is better.  Back I go. Le sigh.

Montuednesday?

Hear ye, hear ye, I now announce the coming of a new day of the week: Montuednesday.  On this day, all bloggers catch up on the astonishing amount of time they have skipped over.  It comes after Wednesday and before Thursday, and no one really knows how it got there... oooooh.

OK, fine, I know how it got there... I got lazy.  But here we go!

Monday
Easiest to catch up on because almost nothing happened! Monday was Yom Kippur, as all 7 of my followers know, so I didn't eat.  My family is pretty lax about the whole fasting thing, but I think we did a solid 21 hours.  The past few years I've had more trouble with the fast, and instead of reading or watching TV after services, I just sleep.  Not because I want to, but because I can't really muster up the energy to do anything else.  I came up with a few things I'd like to change this year re: friends, interests, and my career, but I don't know if that's really repenting.  It's kind of more like resolving.

We went to our family friends' house to break the fast, and I really don't think I went overboard, despite being VERY hungry.  I had some of my mom's noodle kugel (!), salad, a bagel with lox, tomato, onion and cream cheese, some fresh potato salad, a baby scoop of tuna, and some homemade apple sauce.  I ate slowly, though, and really wasn't stuffed by the end.  I had a whole day's worth of food to catch up on!  I kept looking around patiently, wondering when the coffee would appear, and panicked for a moment wondering if maybe there wasn't going to be any, but eventually it came out with dessert.  PHEW.  I guess our host is not the same addict that my mom and I are.  For dessert I had some fruit salad, more applesauce, and a tiny sliver of a danish ring because I was saving myself for chocolate babka at home!  YUM.  I did have the babka when we got home, and also some almonds, because I was still hungry!  Not munchy -- hungry.  Somehow.

Tuesday
I decided to stick around in Larchmont for an extra day and eat my mom's food spend time with the family. I actually really enjoy being at home, and could have stayed longer, but it's better for me to be in the city during the work week, even if I'm not going to the office every day.  I also get pretty lazy about working out when I'm at home because I don't have a gym to go to, and I don't always feel like running.  (It's hilly there!)  So I end up coming up with excuses and feeling very sedentary.

I worked from home on Tuesday, and had some pretty basic meals... oatmeal in the AM, turkey sandwich on raisin challah <3 with TJ's Butternut squash soup for lunch with Mom.  I LOVE challah.  Just take a look at this beauty!

Carb fest! 

Leftover from Monday -- I took two home (1 sesame, 1 everything -- my two favorites) and froze them for later deliciousness.

Since I had spent a few days lingering idly around the house, I offered to help prepare dinner for the family: Taco Tuesday!  A family tradition. Well, day of the week doesn't matter, but it is a classic for us. I think I have a mental block against making these for myself because it's a "family thing," but I should really do it.  It's nice to have healthified Mexican food once in a while, as opposed to the cheesy, oversized stuff.  I made this avocado/tomato salad:

1 avocado
1 plum tomato + some grape tomatoes
2 tbsp red onion
salt
pepper
2 tsp lime juice

Really easy and a nice alternative to guacamole.  The rest of our toppings include refried beans, ground beef or turkey, salsa, reduced fat cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and plain yogurt or light sour cream.

Wednesday
Back to real life.

I copied Kath (ew, sorry, that's kind of an icky post) for breakfast, and put my oatmeal/oat bran in an almost empty PB jar to help "clean" it out :)  That PB was good, but a little sweet/fake tasting for me.  Obviously not too bad, since I had no trouble finishing the jar...

I still want to check out the PB restaurant in the Village!  I hope it can stand up to my favorite PB&J stand next to gate A8 at DTW Airport.  Ah, the memories.



I went into the office, where my friends at the front security desk were very happy to see me.  I have to check in everyday because I don't have a real badge.  Sometimes they joke around with me, but I can never tell when they're serious and when they're joking, so I usually start off my mornings with an awkward giggle and run off to the elevator.  Awkwardness is not necessary before 9am.  They talk to each other in Spanish and I always try to listen, but they kind of mumble so it's too hard for me to hear.  My hope is to one day overhear something and say, "You know, I can understand you."  I can't imagine they're saying anything super interesting.  Probably, "Why is she always sweating when she gets here?"

(FYI it's because I walk briskly!  And the subway station is really warm!  And I'm carrying a 15 pound computer bag!)

I did not pack enough food for myself, and I was starving by the time I left work around 6.  It was actually a normal amount of food (small tuna sandwich, my sauteed veggie mix + lentils + fresh basil, chocolate Stonyfield yogurt), but my metabolism was going nuts.  I think it's leftover hunger from the fast.  Or maybe it was my morning workout?  Ugh, it was DARK when I left for the gym.  Dark!  At 6:30am!  Daylight Savings Time???  Where are youuuu? I have to say, working out in the morning is NOT my favorite, but it is definitely the best way to do everything I want to do and still be able to have a social life after work.  But if it's gonna be dark out when I leave, I just might switch back to evenings this winter...

Thankfully dinner only involved reheating leftovers from Sunday night.

Perhaps not the most photogenic meal, but sooo good.  Asparagus, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, of course, and a Moroccan chicken dish with prunes and almonds.  Oh, but mine doesn't have almonds.  Oops, I forgot, Mom! I don't care how "grandma" they are, prunes are amazing.  I mean... "dried plums".  I ate a little too quickly because I was hungry and on a time crunch, but this was just as delicious the 2nd time around.  Thanks, Mom!

Other notes
Leslie, you won the wheat challenge! That mustard has wheat in it!  So unnecessary.  Good thing I'm done with that diet, because that happens to be my favorite honey mustard.  Only partly because it's in a squirty bottle and I don't need a knife.  Leslie, when my blog starts getting commercially sponsored, I will send you a dairy-free sample of something.

A CHALLENGE!  Let's see if I can get up to the double digits in followers... if you're reading and not following, please follow!  I will feel good.