I’m Off

I’m heading someplace that looks something like this for the next five days and I couldn’t be more excited!

I am not normally a beach vacation type of person (give me a city break anytime!) but this tropical getaway is coming at just the right time. I am not taking my computer in an attempt to get away from work for a while (we’ll see how well I do with that) so posting will most likely be sporadic at best. But when I get back I will be sure to share all our adventures, eats, and my outfits. Have a great rest of the week!

Do you prefer city vacations, beaches, mountains, or somewhere in between?
Personally it depends on the time of year, the weather at home, and what is next on my ‘to visit’ list!

Playing Catch Up… and Monday

Apologies for the lack of posts over the weekend. There was honestly nothing worth reporting on unless; cleaning, organizing my closet, taxes, reading, watching TV, relaxing, drinking too much wine then having a long and totally ridiculous conversations with your boyfriend while he struggles to understand what you are trying to say which to be honest, you really don’t understand yourself, storming off to the subway in frustration and literally swiping your card 20 times while getting incredibly upset that it isn't working, having a ‘what am I doing with my life’ meltdown on the subway at the amusement of your fellow MTA passengers (I am a completely clam and collected professional adult… right?!), a totally unnecessary carb fest, and two good workouts to attempt to counteract all the carb-y goodness, count as post worthy. I think not. At least they probably aren't posts that anyone would care to read.

After watching the Oscars last night for about half an hour and being rather disappointed, we finished a movie we were watching and went to bed. Both of us were feeling a little funky and didn't sleep well. Though I had things to do after work today I knew an AM workout wasn't going to happen when the alarm went off at the normal time and the thought of the walk to the gym alone made me cringe.

So I slept in, though somehow the morning only went downhill from there. My left contact felt a little off when I put it on but I was too out of it to do anything about it. Well, after wearing if for about two hours and wanting to scratch my eye out I finally took it out and found a tear right through the middle. So I spent the day with only one contact and a very irritated left eye. Yes, this is why they tell you to carry a spare pair of contacts or your glasses with you at all times. Need to get on that. I also discovered that I had a stain on the front of my sweater. Classy. And I forgot how uncomfortable it is to break in a new pair of heels. Man, after ten hours in those things my feet were killing me. Also brightening my mood this morning is the promise of rushing to the gym after work, cramming in a workout, rushing to the subway to get to my waxing appointment on time... all things that make you want to jump for joy right?!

Eats:
Breakfast was overnight oats in an almost empty Justin's honey almond butter jar that I pretty much polished off over the weekend during my 'if it can be eaten with bread, I will eat it phase'. In the mix were rolled oats, chia seeds, stevia and water.

Lunch was some baked tofu and brown rice and a NuGo Slim Bar. I need some greens in my life really badly, but I am so stubborn (read: cheap) and didn't want to buy groceries when we are going away for most of the week.

Dinner was super delicious and just what I needed to perk me up after the previously mentioned Monday struggles. I stopped by Juice Generation on my way home and got my favorite Hail to Kale juice which is: kale, apple, watermelon & lemon.

I also picked up a kale and avocado salad that I ate when I got home with a few pieces of left over baked tofu. This salad was seriously so good! I want another one already!! I didn’t use the dressing, I just squeezed the lemon on top and tossed, I could seriously eat this every day.

 

I am now sipping on some warm unsweetened almond milk with two Sugar Cookie tea bags and stevia. It literally tastes like a warm sugar cookie milkshake. All for 40 calories….love!!

Workout:

This would be week 11 of 12 of the LiveFit program, but because I am going on vacation I am taking this week off from the program and will finish the last two weeks starting next Monday. I love working out on vacation, but I don’t like to feel like I have to stick to a ridged plan. If I want to run I will run, if I want to lift weights I will, if I want to take a class I will do that instead. 

By the time I made it to the gym after work I had about 45 minutest before I needed to get on the subway to head to my appointment. So I did a fast HITT workout, a quick 10 minute cool down on the elliptical and a 3 sets of 12 of hamstring curls, glute press, hip adductor and hip abductor. Quick, and I think efficient, my muscles definitely feel exhausted!

20 Minute HITT

I'm off to attempt to pull out what clothes I want to pack, read and hopefully get to bed early.

Rainy Night

I was planning on staying late at work last night to finish up a project I need to complete before I go away mid next week, but when a few friends who were heading out to grab a drink asked me to join them I was easily persuaded. My project will be there on Monday and that is a much better evening to work late than a Friday (at least in my mind!). After a drink with my colleagues I met up with the BF and we headed to Bread Tribeca, which I had been to before and loved. The restaurant was fairly quiet for a Friday in New York and it was nice to enjoy a good conversation, and great drinks and food without being smashed in between other diners as is the norm in this city.  It was raining outside and I loved watching the rain and the lights through the windows.

I tried a Sidecar which I had never had before ( I really liked it!) and I had the raw, vegan lasagna which I got the last time I went to the restaurant. It is made of thinly sliced zucchini layered with dairy free pesto, nut cheese and tomato sauce. The BF had a spicy pepperoni pizza and we shared some olives to start. And of course, a basket of delicious bread! Mmmmm carbs!!

It was a great, low key Friday night that ended with wine and great conversation on the couch.

Read Me

Confession: I love to read. And, I read a lot, pretty much anything I can get my hands on. Always have, and hopefully always will. I was totally that nerdy kid in elementary school who sat on the benches at recess and read a book rather than playing on the jungle gym or playing basketball or kick ball or whatever was going on. Except four square, four square is awesome. My love of reading started at an early age. As a Kindergarten graduation present my mom gave me the first book in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, Little House in the Big Woodsand proceeded to read the first four chapters to me that night. We read the entire series together, though I think I learned to read halfway through that first book. And the tradition of her reading the first four chapters aloud continued through the entire series. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked.

Now I read from a Kindle and I go through books at an alarming rate. I read while waiting for the subway, I read on the subway, I occasionally read at the gym, and I always read before I go to bed. Thus Kindle “freebies” have become lifesavers since I would probably go broke if I purchased a new book as soon as I needed/wanted one! Reading crappy books a large part of the time makes me all the more appreciative of “real” books when I actually break down and purchase one.

Excuses to purchase real books include:
1. Going on a vacation- this demands multiple new books. I consider it a cost of the trip.
2. A book you have been looking forward to is published or an author you love publishes something new
4. You read a review that intrigues you
5. It’s on sale
6. You can’t take reading junky literature any more
7. You have reread all your favorites multiple times and are in desperate need of something new

As you can see, there are many excuse I use to justify buying new books! I don’t usually reread the free books I get on Amazon, but I reread most books that I purchase multiple times. Think of it kind of like those fabulous shoes you really want… it’s all about the cost per wear, or cost per read in this case.



Well, earlier this week I broke down and purchased The American Heiress. It had been far too long since I read something good and this had been lingering in my wish list for months. I devoured it in about three days. The verdict? Really liked it, but it had its flaws. I loved the premise of the ultra- wealthy American heiress going to England with her mother to snag a husband with a title. However, I can’t say I really loved any of the characters, but I am not sure that that was the author’s intent. Overall I found the pacing to be ridiculously fast, I would have liked a bit more character development along the way. The whole book took place in about two years but it was definitely the fastest two years ever! It was a also bit difficult to accurately place the book in history, so some historical context would have been helpful as well. I also don’t think that the back story that was revealed at the end adequately explained all of the turmoil and strife that it had caused. I found myself unsatisfied by the ending, though I find this happens a lot so that is probably just a personal gripe. Will I read it again? Yes, and as always I will try to slow down and savor it a little more the second time through.



Next must read: Bond Girl by Erin Duffy. I discovered this today on What I Wore, (inspiration for reading material is all around, even on fashion blogs!) and it quickly shot to the top of my extensive Amazon wish list. It sounds eerily reminiscent of my life… as a novel.

Get It Done

I seem to go through phases when I jump out of bed in the morning feeling totally awake and rested and ready to work out. But I also go through phases when I have to drag myself out of bed in the morning and have 30 second arguments with myself about not wanting to workout and wanting to sleep an extra hour. My rational side usually wins and probably 99% of the time when I don’t want to get up I convince myself to do it anyway. I am definitely in a not wanting to get up/workout/go to work phase. Thank goodness I am going on a short vacation next week, I think I really need a break!

Workout:

Anyway, after an full on fight between the rational and emotional/sleepy sides of my brain I dragged myself to the gym. I surprised myself by having a great workout despite my reluctance. Day #67 of LiveFit was a leg day focusing on hamstrings... probably my biggest 'problem area', which consequently, I love working on. Dead lifts, lunges, seated and lying leg and stability ball curls were all on the agenda this morning along with some intense cardio bursts. I did everything except for the lunge switch jumps to protect my knee and I ditched the final round of jump roping as my knee was really starting to bother me by that point. I rounded out the workout with 15 minutes on the bicycle. I almost never use the bikes at the gym (unless it's in a spinning class) but I wanted a little cardio to cool down and I needed something that was easy on the legs, as mine were tired!

As I was pedaling away, my favorite trainer tapped me on the shoulder and asked me why I was reading instead of watching TV. I just stared at him blankly. Really?! Does it matter what I am doing, don’t you have protein shakes to drink and people to 'train' instead of bothering me?! But to answer your question; first of all, I am really enjoying the book I am reading right now, and two, the TV wasn’t even working. Now please, leave me alone and don’t scare the living crap outta me by tapping me on the shoulder from behind when I have ear buds in!

What I Wore:

Blouse: Banana Republic Outlet
Trousers: JCrew

I kind of hate this top... hmm actually maybe it's time for the goodwill for this one. It's too big, I don’t think the color is flattering and it basically looks like a sloppy mess. Poor choice on my part. When I bought it for about $10 if memory serves me right, there was a huge line at the outlet and I didn’t want to wait for a fitting room… bad, bad move. I definitely need to stop doing that!

Eats:

Breakfast was an Ozery bun with Laughing Cow and a yummy smoothie, and of course, espresso!

In the mix:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
1 scoop Sun Warrior Vanilla Protein powder
1/2 tsp Sun Warrior Ormus Super Greens
Handful frozen strawberries
Pinch Xantham gum 

I guess this was technically a ‘green smoothie’ due to the Ormus Super Greens I added, however, it was a pretty pale pink which is a much more palatable color!

Lunch was a bunch of things left in the fridge (which is mostly empty). The end of the quinoa I cooked on Sunday with nutritional yeast and garlic gold, cherry tomatoes, a ThinkThin bar, and a 100 cal bag of popcorn. I ate this in three parts and while it wasn’t ideal it did the trick.

After a weekend of shopping I made myself a promise on Monday that I wouldn’t swipe my credit card till Friday night... so far so good, but we will see how I do tomorrow, it might be a PB&J kind of day!

Due to a late meeting at work, I was starving by the time I got home. I also really wanted to eat some veggies as they have been seriously lacking in my diet the last few days. I quickly sautéed the only veggies we have left, a pack of Asian stir-fry veggies I picked up last weekend. I also had a Garden Lite zucchini soufflé and toast with a wedge of Laughing Cow. It was a great quick dinner.

The BF took a day off of work as he has a surplus of them that need to be used by the end of the quarter (LUCKY!!!). The weather today was gorgeous in New York  today so I am totally jealous of his mid-week day off. I cant wait to relax on the couch and hear all about his fun day.

Morning

6:36am… Walking home from the gym.

I love that it is getting lighter and lighter in the mornings!

Caffeinated

I was not a happy camper when my alarm, on a much louder setting than yesterday, woke me this morning. However, I still had a pretty good workout this morning. I did day #66 of LiveFit, plus some triceps work leftover from yesterday and 30 minutes on the elliptical.

I was completely starving when I got home so I grabbed half an Ozery bun with Justin’s chocolate almond butter before I got in the shower. To round out breakfast I had a slice of light wheat toast with egg whites and daiya cheese and an almond milk cappuccino.

I was having a really hard time waking up and feeling focused this morning at work despite having coffee at home, so I did something I haven't done since I started working at my current job last summer. I drank break room coffee. While this might not sound like a big deal to most people, to me it was huge; it really proves just how desperate I was! I am unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view), a coffee snob. I blame my mom, who makes some of the best coffee ever. Despite growing up with regular brew coffee at home, I now much prefer the richness of espresso. I like my espresso either plain or as a cappuccino or latte with almond or soy milk and a touch of stevia. Since purchasing a Nespresso machine with the BF over two years ago I have perfected the art of making my caffeinated beverage of choice. Before I had an espresso machine at home I spent much more on coffee drinks out or I made drinks at home using a French press and a stovetop milk steamer. Back to this morning, the verdict on the break room coffee… meeh. Not great, but I drank it nonetheless with some powdered non-dairy creamer, which was possibly the most disgusting thing ever. I did start to perk up after downing the half cup, so it did do its job! In the future though I will be drinking my coffee at home or running out to a nearby café unless its an emergency.

I failed a little today at taking pictures of my outfit and lunch. But I wore a black wool dress, black tights, a black blazer, and black pumps. Super exciting, huh? The best parts of my ensemble were my bright nails and my arm bling, which included my new bracelet.

This is about as much as I can get away with accessory wise in my office but I am loving my toned down version of the arm party that I love and keep seeing pop up on style blogs. I am also excited to add some of the bracelets my mom just brought me back from India to the collection on weekends.

Lunch was scarfed in about 47 seconds and was a mix (similar to the one seen below in case you are that curious as to what it looks like!) of quinoa, spaghetti squash and aribbiatta sauce I also had a ThinkThin bar to get in some protein.

I spent about five hours on the phone today and all that listening made me hungry? I ran down to the bodega in the lobby before my last call and grabbed a coconut water and some soy crisps to tide me over. I used to love these soy crisps and ate them several times a week because the convenience store on my college campus had them. Now I find they kind of taste like cardboard. Bummer.

By the time I got home I was starving again, just one of those hungry days! The fridge was looking pretty lame veggie wise, and since I didn’t have any fresh veggies at lunch I cut up a very lonely  cucumber and made a dressing that included:

Rice Wine Vinegar
Grapefruit Balsamic
Salt
Stevia
Sesame Seeds

This salad is much better if it marinates overnight and the cucumbers are sliced more thinly, but I was in a hurry so this had to do in  a pinch.

I also had some quinoa with the last of the aribbiatta sauce. We got seven meals out of one pot of pasta sauce which I think is a pretty good cost per serving value!

Beautiful, right? Hey, I never said I ate ‘pretty’ food!

Off to read some of this book which I am really enjoying so far. Though I will love pretty much any historical fiction, especially if there is a bit of drama and romance! This follows the story of a young, very wealthy American heiress who travels to England with her mother to find the only thing that money cant buy in the US… a husband with a title. It is oddly reminiscent of Downtown Abbey and the back story that is alluded to, but never fully explored, that the estate’s wealth comes from Lady Grantham, who is from a very well-to-do American family.

Surprises in the Mail

Somehow I managed to sleep with my alarm going off for nearly 15 minutes this morning. It was on a very quiet setting, but still! I am generally a light sleeper, so I leave it at a low setting so I don't disrupt the BF too much when I get up to go to the gym. Apparently it wasn't loud enough this morning though!

Workout:
Since I was already late and not feeling too peppy I decided to just do some cardio then head to the gym after work to do day # 65 of LiveFit. I just didn't have time to squeeze it all in this morning due to my late start. I really wasn’t feeling it this evening either but I stopped by the gym and finished the majority of the workout. All I didn’t do was the triceps exercises which I can easily do tomorrow when I am at the gym. I just ran out of energy at the end. The gym was packed, I was hungry and feeling congested and impatient and after about 35 minutes I decided just to finish tomorrow.

What I Wore:

Blazer: JCrew
Cardigan: JCrew
Lace Shell: JCrew
Skirt: Ann Taylor

I was cold, and lazy. Enough said.

Eats:
Breakfast was a smoothie and two pieces of light toast and an espresso.

In the smoothie:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
1 scoop Sun Warrior Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 tsp Sun Warrior Ormus Super Greens
1 cup ice cubes
1 pinch xantham gum

Lunch was a salad with romaine, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1 serving Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs, and a large dollop of Trader Joe's tomato basil hummus dip.

Dinner was spaghetti squash with Arrabbiata sauce and parmesan. I also had a 100 cal bag of popcorn and some warm almond milk after dinner.

My parents just got back from vacation in India, and my mom sent be a box full of exotic teas, fun bangles, a pair of woven leather/cloth sandals and an embroidered pillowcase to go with my other similar ones from Paris and San Francisco. Now, all I need is a bigger couch to put them all on. I also loved all the colorful tissue paper my mom used to wrap the gifts up, I felt like a kid at Christmas!

Spicy! Arrabbiata Sauce

The star of tonight’s dinner was a seriously spicy pot of Arrabbiata sauce. When I was in Italy over New Year’s I bought some spice mixes at the Campo di Fiori market. Normally when I make pasta sauce I use my own blend of spices but I thought that having mixes on hand would be a nice way to mix things up a bit. Arrabbiata is my favorite type of red sauce, but because I don’t particularly care for pasta I never order it out. Plus growing up with an Italian grandmother who made the best sauce (and food in general) ever, I have been totally spoiled and consequently I am super picky about my pasta sauces. However, give me a good red sauce and I am in heaven. I have been known to eat bowls of homemade sauce plain… no pasta, no parmesan, no polenta, no nothing!

Ingredients:
Arrabbiata Spice Mix or blend of chili flakes, dried parsley, cayenne pepper, salt, garlic powder, dried basil to taste. I am sure that similar mixes can be purchased at Whole Foods or other gourmet type food stores.
Yellow Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
Sliced mushrooms
Kalamata Olives
Sun Dried Tomatoes (not oil packed)
Olive Oil
Red Wine
Tomato Paste (Canned)
Tomato Sauce (Canned)
Crushed Tomatoes (Canned)
Whole Wheat Spaghetti

1. Chop 1/2 yellow onion.

2. Sautee 2 tablespoons Penne Alla Arrabbiata spice mix in approximately 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat.  Adjust the amount of spice mix based on your taste preferences. The blend I used was quite spicy! Add onion and reduce heat to medium. Let the onions soften.

3. Chop 2 cloves garlic, 4-5 sun dried tomatoes, and 1/2 cup kalamata olives.

4. Add 1/3 bottle red wine and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow wine to cook off.

5. Add one large can crushed tomatoes, one can tomato sauce, and 3 tablespoons tomato paste.

6. Allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and olives.

7. Serve with over whole wheat pasta, spaghetti squash and or steamed kale. Top with parmesan cheese.

I had mine over steamed kale and spaghetti squash. The BF had his with whole wheat spaghetti and some spaghetti squash well camouflaged under a pile of pasta, sauce and parmesan!