His & Hers

Guess who's who? This was our cleaning getup; we scoured the house from top to bottom.

I had an apple-icious snack around 6. This wasn't the best apple, but it did the trick.


Have you ever had rotten tofu? I hadn't until today, and let me tell you, it is one of the foulest tastes I have ever had. It was supposed to make up the bulk of my sandwich, but instead I made another of my weirdo concoctions: hummus, Laughing Cow Light, and cilantro on rye bread. I also had a sweet potato with marjarine (my B&B disappeared) and maple syrup, but I zapped the potato for too long and it was a bit dry. Oh well.



I had a Hot'n Healthy bar (Chocolate Chip) a few hours later for dessert. Gosh, I love these things.


Waitress is on TV and Ari and I are watching. He's never seen it before, but it's putting us both in the mood for pie!

Night night :-)

Good afternoon, bloggies! I'm so sorry I couldn't get it together to blog yesterday... I got off work at midnight and my brain was just not in a technological mindset by the time I got home.

So, back to two nights ago: the later I stay up, the more likely it is that I will need more food. Simple math, eh? I ended up finishing my Josie's salad the same night!


I tossed it with some Annie's Lite Gingerly Vinaigrette, and it really complemented the salad nicely.


I woke up pretty late yesterday, so all I did was get dressed, hop a subway into the City, and meet my mom for lunch at Seven's Turkish Grill. We ordered exactly the same thing as last time, with the exception that I had a couple cups of Turkish tea.


This lentil soup with lemon is so delicious. I'm going to try to track down the recipe. Extra lemon squirts are key!


The "bomb-diggity" bread... still bomb.


These spreads were just as good as we remembered, with the exception that they were really cold, like they'd been stuck in the fridge overnight and hadn't had a proper chance to thaw out. That didn't stop us, though... we munched along merrily.


Mama D and I spent a lovely day shopping around, and ended with a nice manicure. I got my nails painted with Damsel In A Dress... cute, huh?

I had a banana and an Apricot Clif Bar right before I went to work, around 4:45.

Sadly, those snacks didn't hold me over through my 7.5 hour shift, and I started looking at the clock and reading the menu at 8:30. I had some restaurant nibbles: a couple nachos, a clementine, a lot of club soda with lime...

When I finally got to eat (in the car, at 12:15) I pretty much inhaled my dinner. Because it was my second to last night, I wanted to have the first meal I had there (I'm sentimental like that): steamed shrimp dumplings (sorry about the photo, it was taken in transit):


... and goat cheese salad. This really comes with a full bed of lettuce with cabbage and tomato, and two other goat cheese crostinis, but I was so hungry that I was almost finished before I remembered to take a photo.


My dad dropped me off at the diner (what a nice daddy) where I had a little wine with Ari. I came home and had a mint Skinny Dipper (finally, Sarah!). Yes, it's a little too green, but it is mighty tasty.


Last night I made overnight oats to have for breakfast this morning. It has been a while, OO, and I'm glad to have you back!


1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup water
1 small container 0% Fage
1 banana
cinnamon
1 T maple syrup

I'm off now to organize my day. Enjoy the rest of your weekends!

Busy Bumble... and a product review

We stayed up very late watching All About Eve last night... what a great movie. Ari was quite taken with young Miss Norma Jean! I got a boxed set of Bette Davis movies for Christmas, and we're working our way through them.

I was feeling pretty snacky by the time I got home last night. I really wanted an orange, but we didn't have any, so I settled for the next best thing... an Orange Cranberry Gnu bar.


This morning (er, 12:30 PM) I had a big bowl of oats.


3/4 cup oats (made with skim milk)
1 tsp peanut butter
1 banana
1 tsp maple syrup
sprinkle of pecans
sprinkle of chocolate chips

I went to the gym and had a decent workout:

20:00 minutes stairmaster
16:00 minutes bike

ab series
stretching

total: 50:34 minutes
maximum heart rate: 174
average heart rate: 143
calories burned: 4- -?

I try to avoid eating a nutrition bar right after exercising, but since I slept so late and I'm eating dinner our at 7:30, I settled.

Product Review: Amazing Grass Organic GreenSuperFood


Ingredients: Organic dates, organic agave nectar , Amazing Grass Green Superfood (organic wheatgrass, organic barley grass, organic alfalfa, organic spirulina, organic spinach, organic chlorella, organic broccoli, organic açai, organic maca, organic carrots, organic beet, raspberry, organic rosehips, pineapple, green tea, organic flax lignans, L. acidophilus, alpha and beta amylase, protease, lipase, lactase, cellulase, organic peppermint), organic cashews, organic almond butter, organic rice crisps, organic almonds, organic sunflower seeds, organic dried cranberries, organic pumpkin seeds, organic dried coconut, organic vanilla extract


Nutrition Facts:
230 calories
8g fat, 1.5 g saturated
36 grams carbohydrates
5 grams protein


I liked this bar. Although the color was slightly off-putting (dark brown/greenish), I've definitely eaten more questionable things before. It had the texture of a Larabar, and tasted both earthy and sweet. The calories and fat are a little high considering the only moderate level of protein, but I would probably buy it again.

I came home and had a Sunkist navel orange:


And made the recipe I've gotten the most mileage out of: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Squares (and cleaned the bowl, thank you!).


I'll have a treat for you later tonight... stay posted!

Yes, kids, I finally got my Twilight on. It was better than I expected, but still not entirely satisfying, if that makes any sense... I thought Bella was okay, but Edward was a little strange. He definitely took cues from Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands, but not in a good way.

Anyway, at the movies I had some snacks: two mini butterfinger bitelettes (not pictured, we couldn't find the box in the dark), a Peanut Butter Z Bar and a new kind of cappuccino they're selling at the movie theaters. It was definitely NOT skim, and came pre-sweetened, but it reminded me of the coffee from the machines at my school in Paris so I drank half of it anyway.


I was starving and pressed for time when the movie got out, so I got a Tomato Basil and Mozzarella sandwich on wheat at Cosi, with a small baggie of carrots. I went back to the bread sample bin several times... Why does it have to be so addicting?!


During work I had some orange slices and an oyster. For dinner, I ordered a California veggie burger (avocado & cheese) with blue cheese, no bun and a side salad. I ate almost everything on that plate! I also ordered a glass of Albariño (Spanish white wine).


My dad brought be half a Macadamia nut brownie in the car...


I also had an orange before bed.


My breakfast cookie this morning was delicious (and purple!):


1/2 cup oats
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
remainder of yogurt container
1 tsp peanut butter
1 tsp jelly
dried fruit

I'm off to run loads of errands (gym, dentist, pick poodlepie up from groomers). Have a wonderful day!

Shall we dine?

Good evening! This is going to be quite a busy post, and I'm very tired, so if my words start to slur or ZZZZs start appearing, consider yourselves warned.

Although I got up bright and early (which is getting more and more easy to do), I had lunch plans at noon and didn't have time to go to the gym. It's funny, but I can really feel a change in my body when I don't go (and no, I don't just mean "guilt"). It gives me so much energy and, more importantly, it gets me out of the house and starting my day.

I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast all by my lonesome (Ari's record is being presented to their label tomorrow and he is very busy... wish him luck! Not that he needs it...). It's been awhile since I've had cold cereal, so I had a great big bowl of All Bran Flakes and Smart Start with skim milk. I went out early to get breakfast for the boys and picked a coffee up for myself on the way.


I finally got on the Yoga Download train and did Hip Opening #1. It was great! I expected not to be able to follow it so clearly and have to look at the diagrams all the time (and thus interrupt my "flow"), but the audio was really clear and I actually kept my eyes closed for most of it. I'm glad I figured out that I can do this from home!

I went to the Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA) today to see The Hustler with my friend Howard. Now, I've been a Paul Newman fan (sniff sniff) for quite some time, but to be perfectly honest, I don't know if I've ever seen him look so handsome. The movie is great, if you haven't seen it- I think it's the prequel to The Color of Money.

Before the movie, we went to Maison for lunch. It's a Belgian bistro that's owned by the French Roast/ L'Express franchise, and like the other two is opened 24 hours. (Poor servers!) I went there the last time I went to MOMA and ordered the moules frites, so I wanted to try something different this time. The menu has a lot of things that are suitable for vegetarians (although vegans may not be so fortunate, sorry guys). I ordered the asparagus/swiss/egg crêpe... it reminded me of the crêpe stands in Paris (and one unfortunate night when I thought a 1-lb mushroom/cheese/egg crêpe was a good idea at 3 AM) and I ate every last bite.


After the movie, I found my beautiful Kalle and we went to Levain Bakery for their delicious chocolate chip walnut cookies. Next time you're in New York, go here. Seriously. These are the most amazing cookies (besides my aunt Mary's, of course) that I've ever had... they're half a pound each! They're worth every bite. The women who founded the bakery are bikers, so they understand the need for a little treat every now and then!

I had a couple bites of Kalle's, but was saving up for my new bar and a trip to Starbucks (I fell asleep again during the first hour of the movie, surprise surprise).


At Starbucks, I tried the Vanilla Rooibos tea latte (and forgot to take a picture! I can't believe it). A tall skim is 150 calories, and it was just the right amount for me. I also tried my first Gnu bar, in the Orange Cranberry Flavor.


Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 130
Fat Cal: 30
Total Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 32g
Protein: 3g
Fiber: 12g

Ingredients: Gnu High Fiber Blend (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bra, organic kamut, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root, inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, raisins, apples, canola oil, plums, cranberries, rice, natural flavors, wheat protein isolate, baking powder.


Kalle and I had entirely different takes on this bar. As someone who doesn't usually consume copious amounts of nutrition bars- a normal person- (she usually sticks to Clif and Luna), I feel her voice has precedence:
"Too tangy and orangy. Yucky. Too berry and seedy. Too grainy. Too tart."
She didn't even want to finish the piece I gave her... not looking good for you, Gnu. When I tried it, I had an entirely different experience. As soon as I opened the package, a waft of orange fragrance breezed out. I liked the texture of it, and although it was very citrus-y, I appreciated the chunks of fruity-goodness. I would definitely buy these again, although I still have four more of the same flavor (I got a box at Whole Foods of 5/$7... hard to beat) so I'd like to try the other kinds.

On to dinner! I was veeeery spoiled, food-wise, today. My mom's colleagues at work gave her a gift certificate to the Daniel consortium, and we chose to go to Daniel Boulud's newest restaurant in Lincoln Center, Bar Boulud. I've been to his other Manhattan restaurants (Daniel, Café Boulud), and they all have very different feels. Bar Boulud was very low-key, unpretentious, and packed.

Empty glasses...


... magically filled by the wino fairy! My mom and I each got a tasting flight; I got white and she red.

In my flight:

Domaine Mardon, Quincy "Cuvée très vignes" 2007. Loire valley, Sauvignon Blanc.

Olivier LeFlaive, Rully premier cru "Rabource" 2005. Bourgougne, Chardonnay.

Michel & Stephane Ogier, VDP "Viognier de rosine," 2006. Rhone valley, Viognier.


The Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier were my favorites. I thought the Viognier tasted like rose; the sommelier told us the taste was jasmine. I'm going to try to find a bottle of this somewhere.

The amuse bouche was a flaky popover-like bread filled with a light cheese. Very good, and yummy with the wine! I wish I'd known it was coming or I wouldn't have raided the bread basket beforehand...


My mom and I split oysters. Yumyumyum.


You can bet I ate that last one!


Don't they look nice? Good food puts everyone in such a good mood.


If you tilt your head (I swear, when I have a free day I'm going to look at all my blogging options...) you can see my striped bass with chestnuts, butternut squash and sautéed greens. I ate everything except for one little scrap of fish that I let my poor daddy have.


Dessert was so scrumptious that I'm going to taunt you with multiple shots of each (we split them both three ways).

Noisette mousse with toasted hazelnuts, milk chocolate, vanilla and chocolate ice cream:



The dessert special: Meyer lemon tart with finely shaved pistachio croutons, meringue and vanilla ice cream.



I am so happily full right now (hence the drowsiness). I'm just going to fold the laundry and fall into bed... have a lovely evening!

Dead Santa

Good afternoon! Thanks for being so understanding about my slackerdom yesterday. I feel nice and energized today!

Backtrack to yesterday: Ari and I saw this sad sight on the way to breakfast. That might be even more depressing than brown Christmas trees on the sidewalk!


I ordered a huge bowl of oatmeal, which I added skim milk, brown sugar and honey to. Gotta problem with that?


"I wear my sunglasses inside..."


Artsy fartsy picture on the way back from breakkie:


After the gym, I met my mom for some of the best Turkish food I have ever had. We went to Seven's Turkish Grill and each ordered a vegetarian lentil soup:


... and the cold appetizer platter with smoked eggplant, minty yogurt dip (a little thicker than a regular tsatsiki), homemade hummus (!!!), tabouleh, spicy fava bean salad, olives...


And the most bomb-diggity warm and salty bread.


I took a little catnap, then had my pre-work snack. I had a Coconut Cream Pie Larabar, which was, as I remember, fab. I think they should change the name to Coconut Macaroon, though.


I also had some white tea and berry fruit salad.


When I got off work around 11, I had my usual Crispy Crunchy Veggie Salad, but this time I had it with no croutons and added a hard-boiled egg (whose yolk I flicked out... yuck!).


Another caramel Skinny Dipper when I got home... love these guys.


I'm sure there are some Redskins fans out in the blogosphere, so this water bottle will probably only make sense to you. It complimented the photo of my breakfast cookie:


In the cookie:
1/2 cup oatmeal (used up the last of it!)
1/2 scoop protein powder
1 T peanut butter
1 tangerine
2 scoops yogurt
toppings: craisins, raisins, almonds, chocolate chips (this is a keeper!), a date

I had coffee with Ari while he had breakfast. This is him "being a mushroom":


I fully intended on going to the gym today, but time ran out and I am still super duper sore from yoga the other day. Isn't that silly? One of the women I work with is a massage therapist so she pushed on my trigger points, which helped a lot, but I still feel like I have bricks on the backs of my thighs. Ow!

I'm off to have lunch with Kalle, Mike and Greg. Have a great day!