MUPPETS FROM SPACE!!!

Yes, kids, remember when? And what about the even cuter Muppet Babies who kept us company during the day when our mommies and daddies were at work?


Ari and I are enjoying a glass of wine and Muppets From Space (okay, so not exactly like it was in pre-school). Pure genius.

This morning I was dismayed to discover that I'd eaten the last of the bananas, so I whipped up some hot PB & J oats.


1/2 cup oats
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tsp peanut butter
1 tsp blackberry jam
1 tsp wheat germ
dried apricot, prune, craisins, currants

I should add that we slept a wee bit late and didn't have "breakfast" until 12:30! I haven't done that since I was at school (although I'm sure I'll be doing that again in a couple weeks when I'm staying up late studying... blegh). We spent the day doing some household chores and running errands (repeat this mantra: I will be a domestic goddess, I will be a domestic goddess...).

Around 4:30 I had lunch using the hummus I made yesterday:


Garlic-free hummus (this was accidental, but it turned out well):

1- 1/2 cups chickpeas, cooked and drained
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1-1/2 lemons
3 tablespoons tahini
1/4 teaspoons cumin
1/8 teaspoons salt
water as needed

Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy, adding water as needed to ease the blending process. Serve and enjoy!

I made a very strange sandwich that ended up being pretty tasty. Using two slices of rye bread, I spread hummus on one and stone ground mustard on the other. I added fresh spinach and sliced fresh tofu, which I sprinkled with salt and pepper. Yum!


I also had a Sunkist navel orange.


I went home to have a nice dinner with my parents... and take a long hot soak in the tub with my book and a glass of wine. My mom has been on a big Malbec kick recently. This guy had a black cork!


She prepared a lovely appetizer spread, from which I ate almost a whole carton of cherry tomatoes, some carrots, radishes and apple.



My mom made one of the best salads I have ever had. It was made of baby arugula, frisée, toasted hazelnuts, and roasted butternut squash.


We also had crab cakes from Citarella, steamed green beans, and leftover mushroom risotto. Now, I don't know if I've ever expressed my love of crab cakes to you, but they are one of my most beloved foods. (I almost got them at Ruth's Chris last night.) I'm not going to say that's why I'm dating Ari, but he is from Maryland, so...


All together with some ice cold milk.


We also enjoyed a lovely spread of mini pastries from Citarella, which we ate in the pre-school way (in keeping with our theme, of course): bite one, and pass it on...


I did do one Yoga Download today (Power Yoga 1) but I haven't had a sweaty cardio session in days and I'm pretty sure that's why my energy's been so bum. I'm setting my alarm early to make sure i do that tomorrow.

Off to save Gonzo... have a lovely night.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

It's actually gray and rainy, but no matter. I can tell it's going to be a great day. I have very exciting lunch plans with my friends Sara and Lyle, who I was in Paris with. I've seen them both individually since then, and they've seen each other in Boston, but with us all together it'll just just like old times! Well, just like old times with the exception that we'll be speaking English. We're still waiting to see if our friend Lindsay will be able to get home from Rhode Island fast enough... I hope she does!

Now, on to the eats! (Gotta keep myself distracted some way!)

I had a bowl of 0% Fage with clementines and grapes around 5 yesterday...


And who can say no to freshly baked bread? This is not a Secret Santa item; I baked a loaf of cream-of-oatmeal bread (half for the parents, half for Ari & co). It's been a long time since I had real oatmeal bread, and it was delish. Being the genius that I am, however, I forgot to add the sugar to the dough, so after it rose I just kneaded in some honey. It worked perfectly, and I think it may have been even better!

I had a thin slice with Lavender honey:


Dinner was so much fun. I haven't seen Lisa in a mighty long time, and I hadn't see Lizzie since high school graduation. So, what better way to make up then with Mexican food and sangria at La Palapa?

I always feel so much pressure to go somewhere new, especially now that I'm blogging about it, but I have never had a bad time at La Palapa. They have AMAZING quesadillas and finger foods, and their sangria is out of this world!

Lisa and I split plantains to start. They came with a little queso fresco crumbled on top, and we didn't end up using the sour cream it came with.


This isn't the most beautiful picture... But I had about four of these.


I ordered the Ensalata Romantica (romaine, avocado, beets, craisins, pine nuts, queso fresco) with dressing on the side. I ate every last bite! I only used about half the dressing.


Lisa come hither-ing the white hibiscus sangria:


It was so much fun to see my friends, and I was still home and in bed by midnight. Woohoo!

We were both a little sleepy this morning... Java me up, please!


I wasn't too hungry so I just had a bowl of mixed fruit (cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, orange, grapes) and two slices of whole wheat toast with butter and grape jelly. The only time I use real butter is when I'm at a diner. There's something about diner toast that just can't be recreated outside of its space. (It might be because they put the bread on the griddle and fry it up...)


I'm going to read some more Twilight (it made me blush on the subway last night) before I have to pick Lyle up from the bus stop. Have a lovely day!

Words will set us free

I went to a reading by Ben Percy at the Minneapolis Club this evening. It was hosted by Graywolf Press, and there were a lot of interesting writers and publishing folks floating around. He read a short story called "Refresh, Refresh" (from a collection of the same name) about a small town in Oregon that's destroyed when all the fathers go away to fight in Iraq. When he signed my copy, Ben Percy asked if I was also a writer (he heard me talking about my English classes to another guest) and I just mumbled something awkward. He said that when he was in grad school (grad school!) he was told he wouldn't "make it," and that I shouldn't give up. I don't even know if that's something I want, but it was certainly inspiring.


I had a grapefruit in the car before the reading...




A glass of white wine (two hours before I drove away, don't worry), a vegetarian spring roll and a piece of tuna on a crisp (x 2):



I came back and was L-A-Z-Y. I couldn't decide what I wanted, and didn't feel like standing over the stove for half an hour. So, thank you Ethnic Gourmet! I know I've been terrible about cooking recently, what with studying (and said laziness) but I'm going to try to do a bunch in the next few days.







I had a coupon for this chocolate a while ago and have had the bar in my snack drawer for over a month.

Look at my sad broken watch- this was the first real thing I bought for myself in Paris, at my favorite store Zadig & Voltaire. I think it'll be easy enough to fix, but my arm felt naked all day!


A little chocolate...

... and a rice pudding while I watched Gossip Girl (yes, you know this about me by now, and I am not ashamed).


I'm going to get in bed and read, and hopefully fall asleep before ten. Is that a luxury or what?!