Review: Two Tablespoons

Food markets, fairs and festivals in New York City are so wonderful. Entire streets blocked off for all different types of food vendors. Typically, I’m completely overwhelmed.  But when I visited Madison Square Eats, for once, I knew exactly what I was there to get! A vendor called Two Tablespoons- specializing in making delicious vegetarian food with organic and locally sourced ingredients. 

(Lovely setting for a food festival!)

I had been following them on Instagram for a while, and salivating at their colorful, fresh looking pictures on an almost daily basis. It was time to see if Two Tablespoons could please my taste buds as much as it pleased my eyes.

I ordered my food to go, and for the entire 45 minute trek back to my apartment, my stomach growled and I SO BADLY wanted to be that person eating on the subway. But I persevered and waited until I could sit outside on my roof with fresh spring rolls and salad. Ahhh, perfection.

(Look how colorful!)

First, I had the Lentils, Beets and Goat Cheese spring roll- filled with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, beets, lentils, goat cheese and a citrus vinaigrette.  Wow. Everything was so fresh, and how can you beet eating something with all of these beautiful colors? (Did you catch my pun?) I’m a sucker for goat cheese, and paired with the pop of citrus vinaigrette, it was a wonderful combination.

The second spring roll I ordered was the Corn, Coconut and Curry Sauce. This one was filled with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, corn, quinoa, pickled onions, coconut, almonds and curry sauce.  I loooove anything curry, so I was a little disappointed in this roll because the curry flavor was lacking a little bit. But overall, it was delicious and fresh!

Lastly, I ordered one of their glass noodle salads.  I chose the Lentils, Market Greens and Masala Dressing (again, love Indian-inspired flavors!) At first, it looked like a giant pile of lentils. But once I mixed it up, I saw the delicious glass noodles, carrots, onions and capers mixed in with the lentils.  It was a little bit of lentil overload after the lentil, beet and goat cheese spring roll, but still, delicious.

If I had to choose, I would definitely say the lentil, beet and goat cheese spring roll was my favorite part of this meal, but everything was delicious! I definitely plan on ordering from them again before they leave their current site, Broadway Bites in Greeley Square.

I’m dying to try their other menu items!

Biggggg thumbs up to Two Tablespoons. Not only was it healthy and delicious, but the price was right. 2 spring rolls are just $7.50 and let me tell you, they are filling with the lentils or quinoa! You can also try one of each spring roll for just $10! That’s less than a Chop’t salad! The small salads are only $5.50 and a large is $10. The two spring rolls + small salad were PLENTY to eat and I even had some leftover that I enjoyed with lunch the next day.

I will certainly be following them wherever they set up shop! It’s the perfect summer meal. 

Drunk Food Confessions: Guac Guac Guac Everybody!

I'm starting a new feature on the blog- where I come clean about all of the ridiculous food I decide it's OK to eat while drunk. 

I would like to publicly acknowledge the fact that recently, in one weekend, my friends and I ordered 10 guacamole burgers from Jackson Hole. Which is a record, even for us.

The Jackson Hole menu was drunkenly opened after many drinks and many rounds of Cards Against Humanity. And as people started making suggestions, my friend grabbed the menu back and declared, “You’re all getting GUAC BURGERS. You’ll thank me."

And we did.

(We also may have gotten chicken parm and an egg sandwich. Because drunk cravings cannot be ignored.)  

Queen of Hearts

Usually when I’m playing cards, I’m drinking. But recently, I’ve switched it up a little bit. My new favorite type of workout for days that I’m not concentrating on certain muscles or cardio is the deck of cards workout. It’s such a great way to mix things up, keep yourself interested, keep your body guessing, and you can make them as difficult as you want.  

The first one that I did was a couple of weeks ago. For the most part, I used Pumps & Iron’s Cardio Deck of Cards Workout, with a few tweaks.

Here’s what it looked like:

Clubs- Push-Ups/Renegade Row

Diamonds- Jack Jump Planks

Spades – V-Up Crunches

Hearts – I altered this, because I was doing the workout outside and didn’t have a treadmill.  I did :30 high knees, :30 butt kicks, :30 jumping jacks, :30 pretending to jump-rope.

The number = the number of reps (aces are 11 and face cards are 10). 

(Pictures taken from Pumps and Iron!)

I had planned on doing another circuit routine I found online after this, but by the end of the deck, I was poooooped! And it took a while to complete!

This weekend while I was home, I got to go to my old gym for my absolute FAVORITE class- Boot Camp! The instructor, an old family friend, is super intense and puts a lot of thought and effort into each workout, which I love.  This week, she had a deck of cards workout planned! We partnered up and every group of two got a deck of cards to try to complete before the end of class. 

Clubs – Box Jumps
Spades – Pike-Up/Push-Up on the medicine ball
Diamonds – Sprints
Hearts – Weighted lunges

For this deck of cards workout, Jacks were 11, Queens were 12, Kings with 13 and Aces were 14! A joker meant you had to go through all four exercises doing 14 reps.

Good stuff! 

Ramblings of a Runner

A few weeks ago at the last minute I decided to go to the USQ Tuesday social run. It was a gorgeous day, and someone had chalked the route (someone from the store goes out and draws chalk arrows around the city for us to follow!) I love that, because then I don’t feel like I need to stay with the group because I don’t know where I’m going (my navigational and directional skills are poor at best). I was wearing my Nike’s, not my running sneakers. But it ended up being one of those runs where I was close to tears at how amazing it felt. I. was. flying. I wish I had had a watch because I reallllllly want to know what my pace was. I’ve never felt so fast in my entire life. It was nuts. I finished so far ahead of everyone else that I felt kind of bad. I was totally in the zone, didn’t want to talk to anyone, just wanted to sprint and sprint far and fast, and I did. And it was amazing. The other night I ditched the group too because I was in a bad mood and needed to run it out on my own. It’s crazy how much like therapy it can be for me.

It got me thinking about my running preferences and how much they can change on any given day. Most days, I love running with other people. I love the camaraderie and I love the conversations that take your mind off of whatever happened that day (or the fact that you’re sucking wind up a hill). 

(Hooray to running with friends) 

But some days, I need to just run alone and mull things over in my head without anyone else around. Just me and my sneakers.

And then there are the days that I NEED to run with someone. Usually, these are my long runs or early morning runs.  I will admit, sometimes I dread a run.  There, I said it. I don’t like admitting that. I like to think that running is my happy place, and training for this marathon is going to be sunshine and rainbows because I love running, right? Yeah, well.  Sometimes I don’t feel like waking up at 5:15 to run 12 miles before work. Why do it then? Because without fail, if I do it, I feel better afterwards. I need to accept the fact that training is going to feel like work at times.  Hard work. But I’ve read enough marathon recaps to know that if I can successfully cross that finish line after 26.2 miles, all of those miles thinking, “This sucks I want to stop” will be distant memories.

I also know that I’m going to have plenty of runs where I need that friend to be waiting for me at 5:30 so that I don’t shut off my alarm and go back to sleep.  And I’m going to need that friend who says, “Just 3 5Ks left and we’re done!” And I’m going to need that friend who says, “Pick it up Wolman, I know you can do better.” And I’m also going to need that friend who says, “Don’t be stupid, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

Another big thing I’ve noticed about my running preferences recently is that I haven’t worn headphones in ages! I’m either with people talking or running alone and thinking- and both of those things require no music! I still like to have music during a race in case I need it for that extra added “umph” but for the most part, I think I’m a music-free runner now. 

And those are my runner-ramblings for now. 

A New Foodie Happy Place

I have found my new foodie happy place. Smorgasburg is my first true love. But sometimes, it’s not the perfect day for lounging outside while eating delicious food. Sometimes, it does this annoying thing where liquid falls from the sky and makes me sad.  And sometimes, it’s not the weekend (I know, ew, right?) So when it’s not a beautiful Saturday or a beautiful Sunday, it’s a relief to know there’s somewhere else I can go with an overwhelming number of incredible food options that I eventually need to try.

Chelsea Market.

Probably the coolest building I’ve ever been in. You need to check it out. If you are somehow not enticed by the amazing food I’m about to tell you about, you should still go just to walk around and see the inside of it.

My friend and I went and did a lap (complete with all the free samples we could get our hands on, which was a lot) while contemplating how on earth we would make a decision about what to eat. It was like all the NYC food blogs I read had taken their top picks and plopped them into one building. Every place I passed I felt like I had read about. 

(Overwhelming number of options!)

We decided that instead of us each picking what we wanted for lunch, we should pick two things we both wanted and split them so we each got to try two things- teamwork at its best.

I was so happy that we both wanted Beyond Sushi, because I cannot tell you how long I have been DYING to try it. We got a combo which came with a roll and two single pieces- we got the fiesta roll, a mango piece and a tofu piece. We found a place to sit next to a cool fountain thing and I began to photograph the shit out of my beautiful vegan sushi rolls. I mean, look at it.  This stuff is art. Tasty, tasty art.  

There’s not much description I can think to give except happy taste buds. So happy. It came with some orange saucy thing in a little squirt container and I pretty much doused each of my pieces in it. Soy sauce shmoy sauce. Unnecessary with fresh flavahs like these.

Next it was time to get our taco on at Los Taco No. 1.  I’ve read a lot about these guys- one from Mexico and one from California- promised to be one of the most authentic tacos in the big apple. I spent forever waiting for Immaculate Infatuation to load so I knew which taco to order- I trust those guys big time, and if they tell me the way to go is with a carne asada corn taco, you better believe that’s what I am going to order. 

(Menu = unnecessary when you have The Infatuation as your guide!)

In hindsight we both should have gotten our own instead of attempting to split it. 1) Because it was a very messy endeavor and 2) Because half of this taco was NOT ENOUGH. 50 of these tacos would not be enough. It is impossible to ever have enough of these tacos. Upon first biting into this taco, I’m pretty sure our eyes may have rolled back in our heads. The sounds we were making were probably concerning to people. It was very close to a sexual experience we were having with this taco. We couldn’t get over how amazing this taco tasted. What do they put in it? Crack. Go get yourself some Los Taco No. 1 now. What are you waiting for? Go.

The only way to finish off a lunch of sushi and tacos is with some raspberry Ample Hills Creamery ice cream right? Oh yeah. I had a coupon for a free cup from filling out a survey on Chelsea Market’s Instagram so we split a small cup to top off our adventure. It was ice cream. It was yummy. 

Chelsea Market, I have only scratched your surface. We are going to be great friends. 

Thank You JackRabbit!

In exciting, running related news (some of you out there may think that’s an oxymoron) I have updated my sneakers! An expensive but worthwhile venture.

I was back and forth on whether I wanted to buy my shoes online or in the store at JackRabbit. I could find them much cheaper ordering online, but I have such an appreciation for JackRabbit and all they do for me and other runners in New York City that I decided $120 on a pair of new shoes was a price I was willing to pay as a token of my thanks to them.

If you think about it, I owe them much more. They have provided me with:

-A running group that I can participate in for free, in multiple locations in the city, almost every night of the week.

In a typical week, I run at the UES store Monday, USQ store Tuesday, choose between UES and USQ on Thursday, and long run at UES on Saturday morning. If I wanted, I could also run UWS and Brooklyn runs.

-New and exciting routes that I never would have discovered on my own.

Wake up in the morning and don’t feel like doing the same boring loop of Central Park? That’s ok, I now know how to run to Randall’s Island for a tour.

Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge? Easy. You can run to Yankee Stadium? Sure you can!

 -

Friends.

And in New York City, sometimes a nice, normal friend with similar interests is a lot harder to find than you might think.

-Knowledge.

This goes along with the friends and running group. It’s crazy how long you can talk about running related things, and how little I knew when I first started. Cadence? Splits? PR? My mind is now filled with running lingo. How do I make my IT band stop hurting? Running friends to the rescue! “You need a foam roller!” “A foam what? Ow, fuck.” I can sleep in compression socks but never compression sleeves. Got it. CEP are the way to go, medical grade bitches! See, I sound smart, and it’s thanks to JackRabbit!

(Thanks for introducing me to this torture device...)

-Other Fitness Related Awesomeness

. A free spin class at the trendy new Cyc studio in David Barton Gym that would usually cost me $30? Heck yes I’ll be there! Oh, you’re going to give me armfuls of free OatWorks smoothies afterwards? Sweeeeeet. Free yoga? Free HIIT workouts in the park? The chance to sample and run with a new GPS watch? A free gel for every Saturday long run? (Those things ain’t cheap, people). Through JackRabbit and people I’ve met there I’ve also had a chance to run for people in a NYRR 4-miler and in the Brooklyn Half Marathon! 2 tech shirts! 2 amazing days! 2 PRs! Oh, did I mention once I got two free pairs of UnderArmour underwear for the day we ran to Times Square to participate in breaking the world record for most people in their underwear? They’re super comfy underwear too.

(OW OWWW ;)

-Beer and Burgers.

Yes, JackRabbit has even provided the new Jack to Jack running group with pitchers of beer to celebrate a hard 3 miles through the park.

They are that awesome. And their monthly Shake Shack runs? Free shake or beer or beverage of choice (and the first week, they let us order WHATEVER WE WANTED TO EAT TOO).

So although I say it all the time, THANK YOU JACKRABBIT.

Let’s go back to my exciting story about new shoes, shall we? We shall.

It was definitely time to replace my Guide 6’s. A lot of non-running friends have been asking how I know it’s time to get a new pair and I can’t really give them an answer except that I just KNEW my sneakers were dead.  My legs were hurting more than they should for the miles I was doing, my calves were tight. The time had come to say goodbye to my blue and pink babies.

I had been out on a few runs recently in my Nike’s (bad for my shins but they were unplanned runs, sorrrrry legs) and actually loved how light they felt. So when I had John helping me figure out what to buy, I told him:

-I’m looking for something lighter

-I had a stress fracture

-My shins sucks

-I’m a 7.5

Things I also should have said but didn’t:

-I’m probably only going to pick a pair of sneakers if they come in pretty colors…

John brought out 3 different pairs and said they were each lighter but still supportive enough for my problematic legs. The first were an orange pair of New Balance. I ran a little on the treadmill in them and they felt pretty good. John said I was running fine in them, my right leg a little more wonky then the left but nothing to worry about (yes, I just used the word wonky, one of my gran’s specialties).

Second were a pair of Mizuno’s I’d been eyeing because they are SO PRETTY. Like, look at these. But sadly, they had a weird cushiony front piece that my big toe was mashing into- John said a lot of people complain about it. And I ALWAYS end up busting my toe through the top of the shoe as it is (another way I know it’s time for a new pair) so those weren’t going to work. So sad, because they were beautiful.

Third was a pair of Brooks that I loooooved the feel of.  They were like hugs on my feet.  They felt snug in a good way.  But they were ugly, and had the least amount of cushioning and support.  John explained that that also meant I would have to replace them a lot more frequently, which I can’t really afford.

That’s when I asked, “Can I try on the Guide 7’s?” D’oh.

Of course, when I hopped on the treadmill in the Guides, my feet were like oh, yeah, that’s right- because they’re what I’m used to. And they come in pretty colors. And last more miles. But they aren’t really “new” for me and they definitely aren’t lighter! But, as I am a creature of habit, and scared to make changes especially when it comes to running given my track record with injuries, I bought myself another pair of Guides. Here they are, ladies and gents, my new kicks: 

Restaurant Review: Bar Americain

I typed this blog entry as I flew across the country to Las Vegas for work. It has been a crazy month or so, both in my personal life and at work. I haven’t had nearly the time I wish I had to dedicate to writing, hence the complete lack of posts.  But I haven’t forgotten about PB Is My Boyfriend, and I am not quitting on it! I’m determined to keep this blog kickin’ and in order to do that, I need to keep going out in the city, exercising, finding new workout groups, eating delicious food- it’s hard work, but someone’s got to do it, and I’m up for the task. Since I last posted, I have done SO MANY fitness and food related things that I can’t wait to eventually write about…in time I hope to be caught up and back on track.  So where to start?

How about the night out at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain with my parents- not my usual healthy fare, and not my favorite, but it had its high notes. We had planned to go to Momofuku’s Times Square restaurant, Ma Peche, but last minute decided that since we were out to celebrate my mom’s birthday, we should probably go somewhere that we knew she would like.  Plus the a la carte style of Ma Peche was a little daunting. I was crankily asserting that Times Square is THE worst place in Manhattan to try to find a seriously good restaurant, and calling Gato every 5 minutes to see if they had any last minute reservations available because I WILL get there one day, but in the end Bobby Flay’s other restaurant, Bar Americain, is where we decided to go.  Overall, I was pretty pleased with the choice.

The night kicked off to a good start when the bartender was able to make my favorite cocktail, stolen from China Grill, the China Blossom- St. Germain elderflower liquor, gin and grapefruit juice. A+.

Then, the bread basket contained CORN BREAD. I have a strange love for cornbread, and this cornbread was crispy and buttery- thumbs up.

(Corn bread STICKS)

Our waiter totally suckered us into an unplanned appetizer when he said, “Would you like some chips?” The bread hadn’t come out yet, so we thought he was offering complimentary chips.  My dad, whose been there before and had their potato chips, said we HAD to try them anyway so it was fine.  The homemade chips came out and while I didn’t think they were anything special- the blue cheese dip that they’re served with is another story.  Holy yum. 

(Magical, artery clogging cheese dip)

My dad eventually asked for the recipe and it’s something ridiculous like blue cheese, another type of cheese, heavy cream, butter- it’s basically a clogged artery in the form of cheese dip but it was the creamiest cheesiest most delicious thing. We all had to restraint ourselves from just eating spoonfuls of it. Every time the waiter asked to clear it away we were like absolutely not.

We also ordered two appetizers, though I’m sad to report, I wasn’t a fan of either of them.  The first was a crab avocado tower thing (crushed avocado, blue crab, hearts of palm, hot mustard and trout roe to be exact). It’s really hard writing reviews of restaurants to long after the fact, because a lot of the details are hard to remember.  I can’t remember specifics, just that  there was some taste in this appetizer that wasn’t doing it for me- usually I’ll just eat stuff because it’s there, but this I was able to just stop eating because I really didn’t like anything about it.  Weird, considering there’s not many seafood and guacamole dishes I’ll say no to. Maybe the problem was that it was bland? I don’t know. Either way, eh.

The second was an escargot appetizer that my parents made me promise I wouldn’t say anything bad about in my review because they assured me that it was incredible- they loved it (happy guys?)  I won’t say anything bad except that there were definitely truffles used in this- and I hate nothing more than that taste, so this appetizer was also a no go for me.

(Pat and Mitch promise it was delicious)

For dinner I ordered the lamb entrée, because I love lamb, and it came with carrots and quinoa!! The meal was lamb loin with a pinot noir barbeque sauce, charred carrots, quinoa and mint. Sadly, to me, the lamb was fatty, though my dad insists that it wasn’t fatty, just poorly cooked.  The veggies, sauce and quinoa were tasty though. 

In hindsight, I would have enjoyed my mom’s meal much more- she ordered the special of the night which was fish that had a delicious black bean sauce and avocado…I ended up eating a bunch of it! 

(Momma did well with her choice!)

My dad got the rabbit, so I got to try bunny for the first time, HA. I really liked it, it was like delicious dark meat chicken. My favorite part of dinner was the corn cake that came with my dad’s meal. I don’t know how to describe except it was a crispy flaky little pie filled with creamy delicious corn. I ate the entire thing. 

I also had made my parents order a side of sweet potatoes au gratin. Mmmm cheese and sweet potatoes how can you go wrong? This was also delicious. 

So overall, the highlights of the meal were my mom’s fish entrée, my quinoa, the sweet potatoes, and that dreamy corn cake! I wish I could have combined all of those elements to make my own entrée but, c’est la vie!

For a midtown restaurant, Bar Americain is good. For a New York City restaurant, it’s average. I will say that it’s a really spacious, pretty restaurant and the service was excellent.  The food left something to be desired for me, but there were definitely standouts that made the meal worthwhile. Bobby Flay, you’ve done alright with Bar Americain, but my hopes are much higher for the night I finally get a table at Gato! 

But by far the best part of the night was the company :) 

RUN BKLYN

I’m a two-time half-marathon finisher! I ran the Brooklyn Half this past Saturday, hooray! I will now tell you all the deets, which you may or may not find incredibly boring.

Let’s start with the Brooklyn Half pre-party at Pier 2 near Brooklyn Bridge Park.  I absolutely dreaded going to this ALL DAY Thursday.  It was rainy. It wasn’t exactly warm. I knew at some point I still needed to get in 3-4 miles.  JackRabbit was running to the packet pick-up at 7, but then what was I going to do after work for 2 hours while I waited? Why did I have to go allllll the way to Brooklyn to pick up my packet, gosh darnit?! I was cranky. Luckily, the pre-party was on their A-game and as soon as I emerged from the subway in the faraway land of Brooklyn, there were people with signs directing me all the way to Pier 2 (and I say all the way because it was a TREK!)

Once I got there, my mood improved because runners! Music! Free samples! I started to get in the spirit.  The view was AWESOME! Had it been a nicer night, and had I been there with a group of people, I definitely would have loved to stay, had a drink, eaten some Chickpea and Olive, and enjoyed the music.  

(Alright, fine, I'll get in the spirit! SMILES, ready to run 13 miles!)

Instead, I did a lap by myself, sampled some Nuun (EW, tastes like medicine), got a free ZogSports shirt, picked up my packet, and was on my way back to Manhattan after snapping a few pretty skyline pictures.

Friday night before the race, as I wrote about, I ate atSouen.  I picked out my clothes, packed my bag check bag, and was asleep around 10:30.  My alarm went off at 5:00 (yes, ew is right), I got dressed, stretched, rolled and was out the door by 5:30 to meet my friends at the subway.

(The joys of running races...) 

 

It was SO awesome seeing just how many of us crazy runners were up at 5:30 a.m. making the trek to Brooklyn. 

We got off after about a 45 minute subway ride and started to make our way to security and I ate my nanner.  Security was annoying, because everyone had to take their phones out, take their watches off, etc. but hey, better safe than sorry! The line moved surprisingly fast.  But then it was a HAUL to get to bag check.  We just made it before it closed!

Then it was time for the portapotty lines.  Worst. The corrals were super cramped, I was freezing since I had had to put my jacket in my bag at the bag check, there was no room to stretch, and we had about a half hour to stand around.  

(Having company in the corals DEFINITELY helped!)

Luckily we were able to sneakily make our way up a bunch of corrals, which definitely helped because we were able to cross the start line around 7:55- if we had stayed in our corral it would have been MUCH later.

The first couple of miles through Prospect Park were stressful because we were trying to keep up a quick pace but at the same time, the path was super crowded.  Tiffanie, Rory and I were trying our best to stay together and navigate through the crowds.  Eventually, we got into a groove and I tried to look around a little to enjoy the view.  I had expected far worse hills during the park portion of the race, but really there was only one around mile 5 that was challenging.  It was also around there where the “Uh oh…I’m definitely going to need to stop for the bathroom” thoughts started to creep in.

By mile 6 I was forced to tell Tiffanie and Rory to enjoy the rest of the race, but I was going to need to stop.  I had hoped I would eventually catch back up to them, but it never ended up happening. I went to the bathroom, and mentally prepared to run the rest of the race alone (and without Tiffanie’s Garmin!)

Somehow I missed the mile 7 marker, so the jump from 6 to 8 was a HUGE mental help.  At mile 8 I had my espresso Gu, NOM. Unfortunately, at mile 9 nature called and I had to stop AGAIN! Both times I got to a portapotty I had to wait for someone ahead of me, too.  So frustrating.

Miles 7-13 were flat, wide, straight and pretty boring to be honest.  I had used music from 7-10 but decided that for the last 3 miles I would take the headphones off and enjoy the final 5K.  I wasn’t really pushing to finish at a certain time, and knew I had to come in somewhere around 1:50:00 for my friend. 

(Let's finish this thang!)

Then there was a sign for 800 meters and the street got super filled with people cheering us on so I thought “Oh, this is the final sprint” (Actually, I thought, “What the eff, I don’t know what meters mean!!!”) and started to push it.  Well, 800 meters isn’t THAT short of a distance, folk.  Then there was a sign for 400 meters and next thing I know, I’m on the Coney Island pier with the ocean next to me and sand under my feet (yeah, the boardwalk was sandy and I was super scared someone was going to wipe out!) I sprinted to the finish and bam, second half marathon complete in 1:46:50. Hoorah! And I got my first race medal!

(Yas!)

I got my banana, bagel and powerbar (uhmmm, MINT COOKIE, HECK YES!) and made my way to the baggage pick-up.  I found Tiffanie and Rory (they had finished at 1:46:00, awesome job guys!) and then found out that the truck with my bag in it had been in a car accident and no one knew when it would be able to get there- joy! So Tiffanie and I tanned and stretched and eventually, my bag arrived.

Next, we made our way to the subway to get to the JackRabbit after party so graciously hosted by Alex! On the subway, my stomach started feeling like absolute SHIT and I really thought I was going to throw up.  We got to Alex’s and I ate some delicious eggs with veggies and sausage on an English muffin :) 

(Post-race noms! Thanks Alex!)

Then, Tiffanie started to feel sick! We just couldn’t win! So we decided that since we still had a long journey back to the UES, we should probably leave. So we ate and ran, without even having a beer! Such a shame.  But probably for the best considering it took us 2 hours to get home!

I was so happy for a shower, carrots and hummus and a NAP (in my awesome Brooklyn Half technical shirt that I’m in love with!)

That night, it is really disgusting the amount that I ate (and drank, oops).  I’m a little embarrassed to show this to the world but uh, yeah, check out this quad of food I decided I was entitled to for running 13.1 miles!

(Froyo, guac and chips, pizza, lamb over rice.  Heaven)

Overall, I had a great time running the Brooklyn Half (although had I not had Tiffanie and Rory with me, I probably would NOT be saying! Thanks guys!) It’s so funny how during races, you’re tired, you hurt, you want to stop sometimes, and then when it’s all over you’re like “THAT WAS AWESOME WHEN DO WE DO IT AGAIN?!” I definitely want to run another half sometime in the near future- with a new goal time of 1:45:00 or faster!

Souen: Restaurant Review

On Friday night, I went for a healthy macrobiotic dinner to fuel up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon that I would be running on Saturday morning.

I’ve read a lot about Souen, but didn’t know much about the whole macrobiotic diet.  According to handy dandy Wikipedia, someone who adheres to this type of dieting believes that grains are a staple food, supplemented with vegetables.  They try to avoid processed or refined foods and most animal products.  Meaning that the entire menu at Souen consisted of vegetables, soy products like tofu and tempeh, and seafood. No meat here! Souen is also all organic. They have three different locations in the city (Union Square, Soho and the East Village).

The menu was a little overwhelming, because it’s pretty freaking big! We decided to split an appetizer and chose the sweet potato tempura roll.

When it arrived, we both looked at each other a little confused.  Sweet potato? Why is there nothing orange in this? We’re still not really sure why, but we are sure that this was a waste.  It was super boring.  Oh well!

For dinner, after a lot of back and forth, I finally settled on the tofu squash.  I would have liked to order it with the tempeh instead of tofu, but for $3 extra- no thanks!  It was SO delicious though.  It comes with a bowl of brown rice which I mixed into my plate of sautéed tofu, squash, onion, carrots, nappa greens, broccoli and snow peas in an incredibly tasty miso tahini sauce.

I cleaned my plate.

My friend ordered the tempeh parmegiana and I think I may have liked this even more than my squash tofu (although it’s a tough call- both were really great!) 

It was a deep-fried tempeh cutlet with whole wheat-crust cooked in non-tomato marinara sauce, served with yam salad and a side of steamed vegetables. The steamed vegetables and yam salad were both kind of bland, but the tempeh with WHATEVER they made the marinara sauce out of- killer!

The prices here aren’t terrible either, and the portions are large.  There’s no way I needed to eat my entire meal- I easily could have saved some for lunch the next day.  I’m excited to come back here, because I definitely want to try the $10 macro plate (steamed greens, vegetables, brown rice, hijiki seaweed, beans and homemade dressing) and their corn bread with apple butter!

I think it’s incredible when restaurants are so delicious and so dedicated to being healthy and wholesome.  I wish I could convince everyone to eat like this and it makes me sad when I tell people about amazing meals I’ve  have and they automatically tune me out when I say it was a vegetarian or vegan or macrobiotic restaurant.  That tempeh parmegiana was just as delicious as any piece of chicken parm you can find me.  And the stuffed pepper from V-Note that I had awhile back- easily comparable to a pepper stuffed with chop meat. Give it a try people! I promise, you’ll feel better when you eat like this and your taste buds will still be SO HAPPY! 

(Gluten-free, vegan, macriobiotic- don't let these phrases freak you out! EAT IT)

Strength/Cardio Circuit du Jour

I had mentioned that when I was home, I did a little circuit training in my backyard.  It’s a circuit I’ve done about 3 or 4 times now, so I thought I would share it with you- because I really like it, and because it’s from Jillian Michaels’s so it’s gotta be pretty legit, right?

I found it in Shape magazine, which I usually just read for fun and don’t take too seriously.  But again.  Jillian Michaels.  That woman is for real.

The circuit goes a little something like this (Hit it, I always tried to be the flyest kind on the block…Aaron’s Party anyone?):

First, Strength.
30 seconds of plié squats with a tricep extension (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMojeBbOUn8)
30 seconds of deadlift rows (http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/videos/m/34713615/dead-lift-row.htm)
30 seconds of push-up press (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-eGCkjMtWE)

Do these three exercises in a row with no breaks. Repeat once before moving onto the next section!

Second, Cardio.
30 seconds of sprinting in place
30 seconds of jumping rope

Again, repeat this circuit before moving on to the next. I’ve modified this part and usually do a combination of high knees, butt kicks or jumping jacks instead of running in place!

Lastly, Abs.
30 seconds inchworm (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSp0z7Mp5IU)
30 seconds rotating plank tuck (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1GLCBjqrd8&list=TLsQeOGLQ_qac)

Same thing, do each other these twice.

Congrats, you finished the circuit. Rest for a minute and do it 2 more times!

I like this because you can make it as easy or as hard as you want by upping the weights, etc.  It takes around 21 minutes to complete, and hits all the main muscle groups while keeping your heart rate up with the cardio! Thanks Jillian Michaels!

Catch-Up

Let’s chat. I don’t really have anything specific to talk about, but I haven’t posted in a few days so I’ll ramble and getchya caught up on my oh so exciting life!

My birthday! Was great. I spun in the morning, I ate at Little Beet for lunch, and then, my friends and I celebrated seis de mayo! Mexican food and tequila are two of my favorite things, so this was perfect. 

(Everything I need in life) 

I went to the bar that makes my all-time favorite margarita (Bamboleo’s on Bleecker- go!), ate guac, caught up with friends, and then went to Esperanto in the East Village for Taco Tuesday! $12 for 3 tacos and a drink! Can’t beat that! Speaking of things that can’t be beaten…me, at beer pong that night.

(Thank you friends!!) 

WINNER! I actually won something! I guess the edible flower that Dig Inn posted on their Instagram (arugula, bam!) and I won a free lunch! Soo exciting since I absolutely love them!

Wedding?! The first of my friends from high school is officially married! Craziness! I had SUCH a fun time, she looked absolutely amazing, and everything was perfect- I wouldn’t expect anything less from Gabby! 

(How beautiful is she?!)

(How well do we match?!) 

(How great is this view?!)

I impressed my entire table with my ability to clean my plate. Cocktail hour, salad, entrée, dessert tasting plate, wedding cake, ice cream bar, and candy goody bags. Not to mention the open bar. Heaven.

(Are you surprised I took a picture of the menu? Because you shouldn't be. I ordered the sea bass! Mmmm)

(I LOOOOVED this salad! The lettuce was WRAPPED IN A CUCUMBER SLICE. There was cheese IN MY GRILLED PEAR! There were CASHEWS!)

Longest Run! My furthest distance has gone up once again! 15 miles on Saturday morning! Over the Williamsburg Bridge, through Brooklyn, into Queens and back to Manhattan.  It was a GREAT run despite the blisters I now have.

1^st “Party” at my apartment happened on Saturday night and it was really nice catching up with people I haven’t gotten to hang out with in a long time! Also found my new go-to bar in the area. Also ate a lot of chips and salsa!

Sunday I decided “3 hours of sleep is fine.” Woke up, got my butt to Long Island and surprised my momma.  It was a gorgeous day! After some errands I got to tan on my deck with this beautiful homemade salad:

(Little bit of everythang- spinach, kale, zuchinni, carrots, raisins, strawberries, peppers, beets, feta and balsamic!) 

After falling asleep for a little I did some circuit training in my backyard and went for a walk to my grandparent’s house with my mom. 

(Me and momma's sneakers have the same color scheme!) 

(My grandparent's backyard is soo pretty!)

Then, my dad made us my favorite cocktail (grapefruit juice + gin + St. Germain) shrimp cocktail and an incredible dinner of lamb chops and cous cous with walnuts and asparagus! 

Then we went to my aunt’s house for my little cousin’s birthday and I ate 2 giant pieces of ice cream cake because I just can’t get enough sugar…ever.

The Little Beet: Restaurant Review

Lunch on my birthday was gloriously healthy and delicious, thanks to a friend who refused to let me eat my typical oatmeal with peanut butter, banana and cinnamon (although I doubt I’ll ever get sick of it!) Instead, he took me to a new farm to table lunch spot in midtown Manhattan- say wha?! It’s called The Little Beet, and it’s an adorable little lunch spot on 50^th Street and 7^th Avenue.

Their slogan is “100 Percent Guiltin’ Free.” If you aren’t sold yet- read on.

Much like their counterparts Dig Inn and Hu Kitchen, they offer build your own plates with different protein and side options. Their proteins include chicken, tofu, steak and salmon. The day we went, they had a special that was beef stir fry. All the proteins are pretty standard- not a ton of seasoning, but also not at all bland.

The sides are the real fun part though!

Currently, their sides include quinoa with beets and arugula, charred kale (with chili pepper- my mouth was on fiyah!), charred broccoli, charred okra, charred cauliflower, charred string beans, southwest style millet with avocado, tomatoes and jalapeno, buckwheat soba noodles with cabbage, pickled ginger, scallions, cilantro & mint, roasted sweet potatoes, a Greek salad with chick peas, tomatoes and feta, and lentils with avocado, oranges, pecans, kale and ginger.

The pricing isn’t too terrible- it’s pretty much what I’ve come to expect for places like this. One protein with 1 side is $10/$11, protein with 2 sides is $12/$13, and protein with 3 sides is $14/$15.  You can also just mix and match sides (2 sides for $8, 3 sides for $11 and 4 sides for $14).

But I’m so excited to try other stuff here too! The day we went, their special was a bunch of different sushi rolls that looked incredible! They also have a kale salad, sushi salad, Chinese cabbage salad, and Little Beet salad that you can either get alone, or add a protein. They also have soup specials every day and a juice bar!

But enough about all the delicious things I want to eat there- what did I actually try?  Well, I went with tofu and 2 sides- the charred kale and the charred okra.

(Simple and satisfying) 

The tofu, as I said before, was cooked really well and not overly seasoned.  Just tasty tofu. The charred kale was spicy and flavorful.  The charred okra was DELICIOUS- they gave me a TON and I’m totally obsessed with it now.  How is this not a more utilized vegetable?

My friend got the chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Yum.

There are no bells and whistles here. Just fresh, healthy ingredients prepared with minimal oils and seasonings- just the way food should be eaten! I’ll definitely be back to try more things from their menu! And look how cute it is inside! (Although it was a beautiful day so we opted to eat outside).

(Even the inside looks healthy!) 

It was a wonderful 1^st lunch as a 24 year old! 

A Tough Choice

I am a firm believer in the idea that healthy and nutritious food can be DELICIOUS!

But when my dad and sister got egg sandwiches from my favorite bagel store on Sunday, there was obviously a part of me that wanted the cheesy, carby, salty, fatty combination of bacon, egg and cheese on a doughy egg bagel (ok, I’m making myself cry a little bit right now).

But, instead, I made myself something much healthier- while still being satisfying and delicious.

-1 over easy egg (it’s all about the yolk porn, after all)
-Sliced tomato
-Whole grain toast
-Avocado mash {avocado, feta cheese, a little bit of hummus, olive oil, lemon juice and chili flakes)

(BEAUTIFUL right?) 

It’s all about making smart choices. And moderation is key- I OBVIOUSLY had two giant bites of my sister’s egg sandwich- I’m not a robot after all, and look how delicious that looks!

Oh Right- THAT’S Why I Didn’t Give Up Meat

1^st beef post 40 days of pescetarian-ism were my dad’s meatballs and homemade sauce. I almost passed on bringing them back to the city with me- but THANK GOD I took 2!

Instead of feeling guilty for a big spaghetti and meatball dinner with cheese and garlic bread- I whipped up this personal pizza/flatbread!

-1/2 of a Joseph’s flax flatbread (50 calories)
-Smear on a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese (35 calories)
-Slice up a meatball and pour on the sauce (who the heck knows how many calories this was)
-Bake at 350 until crispy

I took a bite and fell in love with my dad’s incredible cooking ALL over again.  Ate with a side salad and a glass of red wine while watching playoff hockey. Perfection.

The next night I did the same thing but added some spinach, eggplant and peppers because you can never have too many veggies!

(Everything's better with greeeeeeeeen)

Burn Booty Burn

Last week, I vowed to bring back leg day and on Monday on my lunch break, it happened.

As I write this on Tuesday, I’m feeling surprisingly good- which just means the dreaded second day after leg day is sure to be killer! Can’t wait for the struggle of walking both up AND down subway stairs all day!

So what did my first leg day entail? Check it out:

-25 squat jumps
-25 dumbbell squats (15 lb dumbbell in each hand)
-:30 high knees
-30 walking dumbbell lunges (15 lb dumbbell in each hand)
-:30 jumping jacks
-25 sumo squats (35 lb plate)
-10 burpees
-30 dumbbell calf raises on step holding 25 lb dumbbell
-:30 jump rope
-:45 wall sit
-:30 butt kicks
-15 bridges on step/hold :30/15 bridges

REPEAT

25 one leg bridges per leg
25 side leg lifts per leg
25 clamshells per leg

50 step ups per leg holding 12.5 lb dumbbells in each hand

And later that night, I went for a nice 4 mile run with JackRabbit (took it nice and slow!) Central Park is looking beautiful and springy! Definitely need to bring my phone on next weeks run to snap a few pictures! It's not from Central Park, but here's a pretty picture from the UES for your eyes to enjoy:

Hey, while you’re reading this- leave some song suggestions for my Brooklyn Half playlist in the comments :) 

So far I have Burn (Ellie Goulding), Misery Business (Paramore), Sleazy (Ke$ha) and Stay the Night (ZEDD). 

Run as One 4 Miler

It’s pretty safe to say that I have caught the racing bug, and I’m not entirely sure how.

Someone in my running group offered up their bib to run in the Run As One 4 miler last Sunday, and I jumped at the chance to see if I could break my 7:18 10K pace with the shorter distance.

I went to the NYRR offices on the Upper East Side and picked up my bib and my technical shirt (which I got WAY too excited about!)  I was pumped. 

Central Park was sunny and springy at 7:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. 

(Blue skies, green trees- the best color combination nature can supply!)

But there are many things I do not like about racing. 

I do not like that I stress out the night before, going over everything in my head a thousand times. 

(Perhaps I have a slight case of OCD)

I do not like that despite all my best efforts at going to bed early and getting a good night’s sleep, I’m always too anxious/excited to actually fall asleep at a normal time.

I do not like that when I wake up in the morning, at least this time of year, the race is so early that it’s still FREEZING out.

(Sunny does not necessarily mean warm!!!!)

I do not like that this means I need to wear more clothes than I’d like, which I will need to take off before the race, which means that I need to check a bag.

I do not like the portapotty lines.

I do not like that at the start of the race, it is so.crowded. that I feel like there’s no way I can run at the speed I want to.

I do not like that I am still a total newbie to racing, meaning I fall into the biggest trap of all time- starting out too fast.

For the Run As One, I took the subway and got to Central Park and was absolutely frozen.  I had planned on racing in a tank top and shorts (plus compression sleeves) but then there was no way I was taking my long sleeves off, so I decided I would suck it up and be a sweaty mess by the end of the race. Plus, if I had to, I always could have taken the long sleeves off and held it and been that girl racing in her sports bra (hey, I totally would). 

I ate my banana, used the bathroom, found a friend, got a high five, jogged to my corral, waited, got to the start, and hauled ass for 4 miles.

There were a few people who I kept ending up really close to throughout the race, which motivated me to beat them, because I’m competitive like that. 

The hills of central park kill me.  I don’t know if the term “rolling hills” is supposed to make you feel less apprehensive about them, but they’re not fooling me. I hate hills of all shapes and sizes, rolling or not.

Things I love about races that make up for all of the negative things I listed above:

Crossing the finish line, knowing you gave it your all.

The volunteers along the route who cheer you own and tell you you’re looking great, even though you probably look far from fabulous.

Being surrounded by thousands of people who share the same passion as you.

(Hi other people who love running!) 

Challenging yourself to go faster and further than before.

Free apples and bagels when you finish? Best part.

Feeling like I belong to a community when there’s a group of people from JackRabbit to talk to after the race.

And I’ll admit, you feel kind of badass walking back to your apartment with your race number proudly displayed on your shirt ;)

Alright- can I say one more thing I hate?

WAITING FOR MY RESULTS TO BE POSTED.

I am beyond impatient.

I ended up finishing the Run as One 4 miler with a time of 28:27.  I was shooting for 28, but at least my pace (7:07) was faster than my 10K pace! I finished 75 out of 4,031 female runners which kind of blows my mind a little bit. And in the 20-24 age group, I finished 5^th.

So why do I say that I’ve caught the racing bug? Because I am now running in the Brooklyn Half on May 17. I am SO excited to run another half and hopefully beat my time (if I don’t there will probably be tears). But I am also really nervous because of the pressure I know I’m going to put on myself.

To end, here’s a picture of my post-race sweet potato with cinnamon, almonds, raisins and PEANUT BUTTER. 

Yeah, you’re jealous. 

Burger Bistro and Bareburger in One Night?

This review should be taken with a grain of salt, seeing as my meal was enjoyed after consuming a lot of alcohol.
Burger Bistro: Delicious drunk food.  Legitimately Delicious Food? The jury will get back to you when they’re sober…
Appetizer- Deep fried corn on the cob with chipotle mayo.

“Oh my god, this is deep friend corn, and it is as delicious as I had hoped.  This chipotle mayo is bangin’ but my mouth is kind of on fire. Good thing we ordered this bottle of red wine.” 

“Killed it.” 

Meal- "I don't even remember what kind of meat I got...but I got a fried egg and mozzarella sticks on top..." 

(My friends burger of an unspecified meat and sweet potato fries that I demolished.)

Meal- Tuna steak with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, Portobello mushroom, lettuce, tomato and a lettuce wrap. 

“Wow, I’m destroying this burger so quickly I don’t even know what it tastes like.  This iceberg lettuce leaf totally isn’t a wrap so I’m going to eat ALL my friend’s sweet potato fries, wrapped in pieces of lettuce, and dipped in ketchup.  It’s like sweet potato fry tacos.  This is totally normal right? Oh wait, I finished my burger without taking any mental notes on it whatsoever.” 

Dessert- “Let’s go down the street to Bareburger and get 1,500 calories worth of dessert because everything sound too great and we can’t make decisions especially after all this wine, which we snuck out of Burger Bistro.” 

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Milk Shake
“This is making me angry.  Where the bananas at?” 

(Fat. Asses.) 

Snickerdoodle Sammie 
“Now THIS is what I’m talkin’ about.  510 delicious calories in the form of snickerdoodle cookies with salted caramel ice cream AND caramel dipping sauce.  Remember when I ate like 3 Biggy Iggys a week? Those were the days.  WHOAH this is from Cool Haus? Check that off the bucket list.  I still think Good Batch is the God of ice cream sandwiches.” 

What the Brick?

I went for my first brick workout on Saturday, and it was pretty awesome! But I gotta admit, I didn’t know much about them, so if you’re scratching your head thinking “What the heck is a brick workout?” don’t feel like a silly goose. Keep reading!

“Brick” workouts are generally used by triathletes and is the term used to refer to a workout that “stacks” two different forms of exercise, one after the other, with little to no break in between.  These help triathletes prepare their bodies for the transitioning between running, biking and swimming.  Usually, brick workouts focus on the biking and running portions- and are therefore great for non-triathletes as well thanks to the new popularity of indoor cycling studios! Brick workouts are a great way to switch up your routine, increase your calorie burn, challenge your body, and keep things interesting!

I also found that they’re great at sparking, “Maybe I want to do a triathalon” thoughts…but that could just be me.

Saturday morning I woke up nice and early and my friend and I journeyed down to the David Barton gym at Astor Place (it’s beautiful, even though they ruined my Alumni Weekend last year- long story, which I will recount at the end of this post for those interested because it’s pretty entertaining). Inside David Barton is a new spin studio- Cyc. Cyc had generously partnered up with JackRabbit to let us in on a FREE class for the cycling portion of our brick workout.  Score!

First we did some rolling, cause that’s just the way we roll.  And also because our legs hate us a lot of times.

Next, it was into the studio for a major sweat sesh with “cycologist” Devon Kincaid. Cyc’s studio is big, dark, and awesome.  The bikes are only useable if you’re wearing cycling shoes, so when you ride at Cyc, you’re sure to feel LEGIT.

Cyc is one of those spin studios that isn’t just going to have you climb some hills, do some jumps and sprints and call it a day.  Cyc’s classes are of the “Your arms will burn just as much as your legs by the time you leave here” variety.  During Saturday’s class, we did 5 weighted songs, including ones that focused on biceps, shoulders, triceps and abs. 

I’m still torn on how I feel about these types of spin classes.  As a general rule of thumb, I’m all onboard.  I love the variety, the burn and of course the added calories I’m torching.  But there’s still part of me that likes my “boring” in comparison spin classes at NYSC that are a little more traditional.

That being said, Cyc is such a great experience- between the spinning, the coaching, the weights, and the AMAZING LIGHTING (not to mention great playlists)- I totally wish I could afford to take a class every day (single rides are $25 with packages starting at $120 for 5 rides- they also have student rates for anyone 23 or under or anyone with a valid student ID, so check that out fo sho!).

At the end of a heart-pumping 45 minute ride, it was time to snap a picture and head to the streets for the JackRabbit led running portion of the brick workout!

JackRabbits @ Cyc!

We took a lovely 3 mile run, stretched, high-fived, and were treated to delicious OatWorks smoothies!

All in all, a wonderful, wonderful Saturday morning! (Followed by a wonderful afternoon experiencing my first Phatty Beet slider from Chickpea and Olive at Smorgasburg!)

I definitely recommend trying out a brick workout! I also give two thumbs up to Cyc, JackRabbit and OatWorks….all amazing companies!

*The story about how David Barton ruined my Alumni Weekend- One day, I went to David Barton for a free trial membership (because I am a serial gym free trial-er).  When I signed up, they asked for my ID along with all my paperwork. I had a great workout. I instagrammed their beautiful décor. I sat through their spiel. I prayed that one day I would be able to afford a membership at a gym like this. I went home, I packed, I went to Connecticut for Alumni Weekend.  I went to buy alcohol to adequately pre-game. I didn’t have my ID.  For the LIFE of me, I couldn’t figure out where my ID could possibly be.  I wasn’t missing anything else from my wallet! How was I going to go to Aunchies with the rest of the alumni for a night of drunken dancing? I had my parents send pictures of every form of ID I could think of but when I got to the door of Aunchies, the bouncer wasn’t having it.  He called for the owner, “Mrs. Aunchie”- the biggest, meanest, scariest owner in the world.  She wasn’t having it either- but luckily, she also wasn’t having the person trying to cut the line by hoping over the fence.  As she turned to yell, I raced through the door, and spent the entire night hiding from her (which got a little tricky when I was next in line for the bathroom and she was coming out of the stall…).  About a week later, after I was back in the city, it suddenly dawned on me, out of nowhere, that I had given the David Barton front desk person my ID when I signed up for my free trial! I called, and sure enough, it was there! Didn’t they think I might need that?! They had all of my information from the forms I had filled out! Grrrr. \End. 

Hu Kitchen: Restaurant Review

Hu Kitchen, y u so awesome? Y u tempt me to spend all my money?  Last Tuesday (still playing X-treme catch up here, people) I got post-hockey dinner at this popular healthy eatery in the Union Square area.
While certainly a prime take-away/quick meal to go location, I was surprised at how atmospheric the upstairs sit-down area was.  While there’s no waiter service available, it’s still a nice spot to sit down and enjoy some nutritious nosh. 

(Photo Credit to Iheartinteriors.blogspot.com)

The first floor is split up into a few different areas based on what you’re looking to nom on. 

First, a juice bar with organic juices, smoothies, coffees and teas.  Next, an area I still can’t wait to try- their “mash bar.”  Think bowls of chia pudding with seasonal berries, organic raw grain-free granola and coconut cashew cream.  Choose of their pre-designed combos or create your own!
Towards the back is a fridge with grab and go items and then it’s the prepared hot food section. 
You can choose an entrée (veggie lasagna, meatloaf, rotisserie chicken and daily specials) and then pick your sides from options like caramelized pineapple and cashew cream, organic quinoa and roasted winter squash. 

My friend got the Grandmaster Veg- a grain and dairy free lasagna with eggplant, carrot, green cabbage, cashew, marinara, garlic, chili flakes and olive oil.  For sides, he tried the sweet potatoes and broccoli (sadly, both a little cold).

(It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from goin' undah! Grandmaster Flash reference, anyone?) 
  
I decided to go to the bowl station- #winning.  For $10.95 I created a delicious bowl containing: 
-Root Vegetable Mash (Sadly, I think this had some fennel in it because every couple bites I would get a little “ew” bite.) 
-Organic quinoa 
-Roasted Wild Mushrooms 
-Organic Moroccan Chicken (with onion, garlic turmeric, ginger, coriander and cumin- taste budgasm!) 
-Cilantro 

(Alright, she ain't the prettiest but it tasted great!)

The man who helped me was SO nice and patient- not to mention he let me mix and match and go halfsies on both my bowl’s base AND topping.  Thanks for helping an indecisive sister out! 
The bowls also come with a yummy piece of grain-free Hu Bread- mmm sunflower seeds! 
My friend had also gotten a container of coconut cacao kale chips- which I’m here to tell you taste better than they sound!
If you’re anything like me, you may find yourself reading the nutrition labels on EVERYTHING.  What stressed me out a little bit about Hu Kitchen was that they are anti-calorie counting.  But while you won’t find any calories listed for their food, you can rest assured that everything they make is “clean,” healthy and nutritious!
They promote VEGGIES and lots of them, encouraging people to keep it as grain free as possible while embracing good fats like nuts and avocados (heck yes).  You should really check out their website- it’s basically a “how to” guide for great eating practices!
I’ll definitely be returning to Hu Kitchen to “Get Back to Human.” Their story is great and their product is even better!
Hip Hip “Hu-rray!” (See what I did there?) 

Flex Friday!

It’s FLEX FRIDAY. 

This week, I kicked some butt at the gym, actually sticking to my old routine of focusing on a specific muscle group per day. I love my running and spinning, and can be a little bit of a cardio freak, but I really do enjoy strength training just as much! Don’t be afraid to lift heavy ladies!

For those of you wondering how I break it down:
-Back/Bis
-Triceps
-Shoulders
-Abs

And I made a decision this week- it’s time to bring back leg day. I haven’t been doing it because when I’m super sore after leg day, I can’t run or spin and that makes me cranky.  But I know that with marathon training coming up, I’m definitely going to need to strengthen my legs to carry me 26.2 miles! So squats, I’m coming for you!