Not a great start to the week

Friends, I'm so sad about what's happening in Boston right now. Really, what is the world coming to when we can't even rely on physical activity to provide the escape from violence that we so desperately need these days? I'm so sad and disappointed in humanity right now. 

To distract me from the tragedy, I figured you and I would discuss food. 

Friday's lunch was absolutely delicious and it was a total mish mosh of leftovers and prepared food from the grocery store near work. Love me a happy accident.

 

In the bowl we have brown rice, slow cooked chicken breast, sauteed kale, and roasted veggies.

I'm trying to kick my "must eat chocolate after every meal" habit, so I ate about a pound of these babies between lunch and time to go home.

First of all, plain ginger chews rock my sox off any day of the week. They're so weird and chewy and they take my tummy ache away if I'm feeling gross or nauseated. Win win win.

Most of you may think that I jumped on the peanut butter flavor, but you would be wrong. I thought it was a little weird, so I stayed away for a bit. But, then I got curious. And then I got addicted.

Friday night I was on my own for dinner, so I cooked up some leftovers. This looks really healthy but, don't worry, I followed this up with an ungodly amount of chocolate. My resolution lasted less than 12 hours. Cool.

I actually woke up really early on Friday and made a batch of my favorite pancakes. I had some right then (how can you not), but I really made them for my pre-run meal.

I started with four pancakes, but ended up going for more. That's a total of 6 pancakes. Because who just eats a single pancake? Good girls. Not bad ones...wink.

My run was mega shitty. I've been having some IT Band issues and it really killed me on Saturday. It was super lame. At the same time, I feel like only true athletes get injured, so I felt pretty bad ass.

I spent most of the rest of the day on Saturday in the above state. That's an ice pack. With my feet planted firmly on my coffee table.

In fact, I spent most of my Sunday that way too. 

There may or may not have been a housewarming party that I hosted at my house with around 30 people in attendance somewhere in there, but I can't remember. And I have no proof because I was busy in the kitchen and took zero pictures. So, believe what you wish.

I did take time to have brunch with a friend on Sunday and got a chance to experience Spring springing in New York. May I just say that, if I wasn't hobbling painfully along, I would have galloped to brunch. The sun was out. The blooms were bloomin'. It was a great day.

Although the NYC weather seems to have schizophrenia and can't land on a definitive season, the trees and plants are aligned, so the city is a pretty sight.

Since I'm walking so slow, I'm taking the time to enjoy the weather before the season quickly changes to summer and my skin starts melting off.

'Til next time, have fun being bad.

-t

 

 

I can't move, but damn that was fun

Soooooo I may or may not have been sick about two weeks ago. I told you about that, right? Welp, it took me until this week to get back into the groove of CrossFit. I learned three things:

1. You cannot come back at same level of intensity/awesome that you left at
2. Do not take breaks from Crossfit, you will regret it
3. GO EASY. Because what you perceive as "easy" will probably kill you

Friends. I AM SO SORE. I can hardly walk. I'm wincing in pain every time I stand up or sit down. Or move. Which is a lot. So kill me.

Yesterday began with a kick-ass workout all thanks to my girl, Heidi. She called it the Dirty Thirty. I called it Welcome to Hell.

30 Box jump, (24″, 20″)
30 Jumping pull-ups
30 Kettlebell swings, (24kg, 16kg)
Walking Lunge, 30 steps
30 Knees to elbows
30 KB Snatch, each arm.
30 Supermans
30 Wall ball shots, (20″, 14″)
30 Burpees
30 Double unders

Brief pause: Please add to my list of things I do NOT like: the phrase "kick butt." It just sounds weird. Say ass or don't, but don't replace it with a lamer word. 

To fuel me through the torture, I had half of one of these muffins that I made the other day to use up the five pounds of apples I had left over in my fridge. I have yet to take a picture, but once I do, you'll be the first to see. Cross my heart.

Once I got to work, I made myself some (beware: shocking spoiler ahead) PB&J oatmeal.

Except this time, there were fresh berries for the taking at work, so I jumped on that.

  I went out to lunch with a fabulous friend who is making me want to do more yoga and pilates and become a personal trainer. Damn you, Bex.

A few hours later, I munched on the remaining chocolate bar stashed at my desk. It's all gone now and I'm like a lost puppy.

 

For dinner, we slow cooked some beef short ribs and sauteed some kale with onions. 

I stuffed the beef in a corn tortilla and, on it's way to my mouth, I snapped this horribly blurry picture.

But, you get the gist.

 Now, I have two exciting yet random additions to today's post.

 

Numero uno: a surprise DIY project. 

We haven't taken proper photos yet, but stay tuned: it's a good one!

Lastly, are any of you playing this game ----->

If you're not: do yourself a favor and search for "Candy Crush" in the iTunes Store. It's free. It's addicting. DO IT.


If you are: AHHHHHHHICANTSTOP.

YouknowwhatImean?

I was so proud of myself for beating level 35 until my coworker said, "Oh, candy crush? You play that too? I'm on level 68, you?"

Showoff.




That's all for today. Til next time, you know the drill.

-t

Product Review: Vega One All-in-One Nutrition Bar

Greetings! I am launching a new page and series of product reviews to give you my opinion on products, in case you're sitting at home/work thinking, "I wonder what Tiff thinks about [fill in the blank]?" I'm a mind reader.

The first product is the Vega One All-in-One nutrition bar. Chocolate cherry flavor.

If you haven't heard of Vega, make sure to check out their website and their multitude of product offerings. Vega was created by a vegan triathlete and provides athletes with all kinds of vegan and gluten free products for general well-being, but also for fueling activity.

Since I'm not entirely sure I process dairy all that well and I avoid gluten on a regular basis, Vega is an easy pickup for me because I know that I can trust it to at least exclude two of the most common allergens.

My introduction to Vega products was through the Whole Food Optimizer Powder. They don't sell that product anymore. From what I gather, they reformulated it and gave it a new name: Vega One Nutritional Shake. It wasn't the best thing I'd ever tasted but, again, I liked that I could trust the ingredients.

I ordered singles of quite a few new (to me) products from the Vega site because I was intrigued at how the company has grown and expanded their scope. I'll make sure to review all of the products I try as I go along.

This bar was in my purse, hence the crumbles. My apologies.

 

The flavor was good, not great. I didn't get an overwhelming cherry flavor. In fact, if the package hadn't told me, I probably wouldn't have known. I did get a large piece of dried cherry, but other than that, the flavor didn't stand out. I also got a chocolate almond flavor, so I'll update this after I try it.

Texture-wise, it was crunchy when I wanted it to be and creamy when I wanted that. Check. Check.

The real downside about this for me was the calorie content. The whole bar is 240 calories which is more calories than I want to spend on a snack.

To dodge this speed bump, I ate half the bar yesterday and finished it today. No big deal, just wish it was under 200 calories. If a snack bar goes over 200 calories, I generally regard it as a meal replacement.

Bottom line: Good, not great. 

Although this was a decent and quick alternative for a snack, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again. I did try one of their Vibrancy Bars a few weeks ago and liked that a lot better.

My sincere apologies for not photographing the ingredients. I'm a work in progress.

Let me know if you've tried any of the Vega products or have any thoughts on my review. I'd love to hear your questions and/or comments.

How unoriginal

People, allow me to make something very clear. I am a total copycat. I do not come up with my own recipes (yet...). My friends always tell me I'm so good in the kitchen or that I'm so creative.

I'm not.

This understanding of me is totes false. I read a lot of blogs. And I LURV health and fitness. But I am not, by any stretch, creative in the kitchen. I steal things from others and typically change or omit a few things here and there. You can easily do the same. Have a little faith. Start with something easy and gradually begin challenging yourself with new, different recipes. Okay, let's talk eats.

 Friday morning began with the usual pbj oatmeal.

It was DIVINE.

Per usual.

Lunch was leftover braised chicken and roasted cauliflowa. 

I followed this recipe (I didn't eat it over pasta, just veggies and roasted taters).

We quickly realized that we are not chicken thigh people. We're breast people. 

There's a sexual innuendo in there. Bravo if you caught it before I called it out.

Friday night, we went to an incredible Jewish deli for dinner.

Usually, when I hear the word "deli" I cringe. 

Since I avoid gluten (flour) like the plague, any place that bases its menu on sandwiches, pasta, or fried everything is like hell for me.

 Mile End really came through, though.

They had incredible real food. I got the Red Wine Braised Brisket and 

It.

Was.

BANANAS.

Not only did the meat just melt under my knife, but it came with this delish slaw on top and some roasted taters that I wanted to load up in my purse and take home with me.

 I have never really enjoyed alcohol. It always tasted really terrible to me and I never saw the point of "acquiring a taste" for it since I have no desire to get drunk.

But.

In the last year and a half or so, I've really begun enjoying red wine. Like, really.

So, I had this dangerously good wine with dinner on Friday and I had to take a picture so I can remember what it's called.

It turns out, I'm just as picky about what I drink as I am about what I eat. I would say 50% of the time, I'm not a huge fan of the wine I get when we're out. I'm starting to learn what to ask for so that servers can recommend something that won't burn my esophagus going down and give me heartburn. So, whenever I come across a wine that's smooth and enjoyable, I snap a shot.

I planned on making pancakes all week and, on Saturday, I made them for my pre-run meal.

Damn, they were good.

It's hard to control portions when you're eating these fresh off the skillet. But, the little ones are calorie free anyway.

I use Tina's pancake recipe. I make several substitutions: oat flour instead of regular, maple syrup instead of sugar, and olive instead of canola oil.

She has a new one, but it uses almonds and eggs and I've found those upset my stomach if they're going to be sloshing around during a run.

So, I stuck with the original.

Bonus: my mister right liked them too.

THAT NEVER HAPPENS.



It was another beautiful Saturday and my run was GLORIOUS. I took it super slow since my run last week was painful. It was a good call, because I had fun and felt good. Yay!

I didn't capture photos of my lunch today (breakfast was the usual) because I ate with friends and it's weird being the douche at the table taking close-ups of your leftovers.

I had leftover sushi and roasted cauliflower. It was uneventful.

But, I ended my trip down gourmet lane with...

chocolate.

Mmmm.

Endangered species chocolate was on sale at Whole Foods last week.

Score.

I love these because they have a cause and giving back gives me the warm and fuzzies.

See?

It's not just about me, folks.

Okay, it's mostly about me when it comes to chocolate. 

But I also like that there aren't a ton of ingredients here.

Sorry this is blurry...blogger fail.

Four ingredients isn't too bad in my book.

YUM.

Welp, that's all I've got for the weekend. But, make sure to check back because I'll be updating the recipe page and sharing a home DIY project soon! Mucho to look forward to.

'Til next time, have fun being bad.

-t

My sunny run

If you're an avid Bad Girl Eats follower (which you should be), then you saw Saturday's post about this delish baked oatmeal that I made.

What you didn't see was the next day's attempt.

I don't know what I did differently, but it just didn't look as pretty. But it tasted just as good. In any case, I'll be sticking to the good ole CCK version for aesthetic reasons.

I failed to show you Friday's lunch, though. I was very proud of my first attempt at cooking pork. I don't know why, but cooking pork and beef scares me a little. With beef, it's because of the blood. It grosses me out. But pork? I think I just don't know what to do with it. Well, I put my big, bad girl pants on and tried a new recipe. I paired it with mango avocado salsa from this recipe, roasted asparagi, and half a sweet tater. 

The result was B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

Also, I eat the entire sweet potato -- meaning I don't peel it. Anyone else do this?

Back to Saturday.

After my blueberry banana oatmeal masterpiece, I went for my 10 mile training run. 

After running long runs in 20- and 30-degree weather for the past two months, I welcomed a sunny, bright, beautiful 50-degree run along the East River.

My parents live in Florida and they never stop trying to convince me to come home. By sending me pictures of themselves running by the beach and lounging by the pool in their backyard.


The tactic doesn't entirely work on me because I still think New York City is one of the most diverse, beautiful places on the planet. But, after what feels like an endless winter, I was starting to get a little jealous and homesick.

Until my sunny run on Saturday. Although I didn't have a great run -- I experienced some serious runner's knee and IT Band distress -- I had a wonderful time frolicking in the sun. 

Afterward, I walked through the Union Square Greenmarket with a hot apple cider, then sat down to enjoy it while I listened to a guy play the piano for the masses.

It was a very satisfying Saturday.

 I didn't have quite as eventful of a Sunday, but I was okay with that.

I usually take Sundays to relax, do some prep for the week, and watch some recorded tv.

I also cooked up some plantains for the first time. It was super easy and delicious.

Fortunately for me, my mister right doesn't particularly care for plantains, so these were all mine.

I don't have pics of the finished product because I shoved them in my mouth too fast. Maybe next time.

Monday morning, I woke up with a giant bowl of raspberry oatmeal.

This time, I tried steel cut oats that I made the night before. I just added some water, egg whites, frozen raspberries, and OBVIOUSLY peanut butter.

Per usual, it was AH-mazing and my favorite peanut butter gets all melty when it's heated and it melted like butter all over my warm oatmeal and I felt so indulgent eating it.

Did you prank anyone on April Fools?

I did.

Yep, I told my friend that my mister right and I were pregnant.

However, I couldn't maintain the charade for long and told her the truth shortly after.

On Saturday, I bought a very cheap 5 pound bag of apples, so I decided to treat myself to an appleful dessert on Monday night.

I topped some chopped apples with an inordinate amount of cinnamon and a few chopped walnuts, water, and butter and baked it in a 400 degree oven until it looked cooked enough for my liking.

Maybe 20 minutes? Very specific instructions.

Looks good to me.

Then, I threw it in my 'Hers' mug and topped it with some dairy free vanilla ice cream and a little rum extract.

I didn't like the particular brand of coconut milk ice cream that I got (maybe because I've been making my own ice cream and have become a total ice cream snob?), but the rum flavor was bangin.

I may try putting that in the apple mix next time.

Yesterday's lunch was Paleo Pad Thai, which I think I've talked about before.

I pretty much use the recipe for the Sunshine sauce and change everything else depending on what I'm feeling like.

This version had spaghetti squash, spinach, eggs, and grass-fed (and finished!) london broil from Grazin' Angus Acres.

Last night was an amalgamation (big words!) of leftovers and homemade, fresh veggies. We had some leftover chicken and steak from a work dinner, so I just roasted some colorful cauliflower and white/sweet potatoes for our sides.

It looks like a mess, but it. was. tasty.

Since I eat oatmeal pretty much every day, I'm going to refrain from posting another picture of oatmeal that I had for breakfast this morning and just make a whole post about it. How's that sound? That post is coming soon. Until then, have fun being bad.

-t

Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal

Folks, I just made this baked oatmeal for breakfast this morning. It may not look like much, but it tasted amazing. I threw some frozen blueberries in the mix and spread some peanut butter on top after it was done cooking. Really solid b-fast.

Til next time, have fun being bad.

-t

I'm alive.

Friends, it's been a crazy two weeks. I haven't lifted something heavy in a very long time. Last week, I thought I had the flu. I woke up and felt like roadkill. My joints were achy and my throat was scratchy and I just wanted to curl up and sleep all day. So I did.

I  drank about five Emergen-C packets and watched daytime television from underneath layers of sweats and a heavy blanket. When I went to the doctor the next day, I got a real diagnosis.

ear infection

An ear infection? What am I, 7? What adult gets an ear infection? Needless to say, I felt very silly. And I've been on antibiotics since. Two days later, I felt much better and went for a 9 mile run outside. 

And got sick again. 

So, I took the next FOUR DAYS off. And now I am finally getting back to normal. Whew. It's been a whirlwind.

I've been getting back to the usual eats after a few days of little to no appetite which, if you know me in real life, is a true indicator of how terrible I felt. I always have an appetite.

Remember I told you about these little banana peanut butter bites? Well, I munched on them before my long run last weekend and they were amazing.

Frozen peanut butter might be my new obsession. 

You should try it.

My mom made me this killer granola, so I've been mixing it with some yogurt and honey for breakfast and it does not disappoint.

I'll look into getting that recipe to share.

Dried blueberries and cherries...add those to my ever growing list of obsessions.

Berries are nutritional powerhouses, so I don't feel bad snacking on them when there are extras in our office.

For some reason, I haven't been all too fond of the blue-hued berries. Don't know why that is, but I just skip them and munch on the straw- and raspberries when they're available.

I found this cute little shot glass in our cupboards and pulled it out to measure a perfect serving of peanut butter!

It told me exactly where to stop for 2 tablespoons of my favorite treat, so I had this for breakfast last weekend with half a nanner and an apple.

I was out of town on Monday and Tuesday for the Jewish holiday and did not take any pictures of what I ate for two reasons:

1. I'm not so committed to blogging that I'm willing to be that crazy person taking pictures of my food in the middle of Passover seder.

2. I felt like death and most of my pictures would have had snot-filled kleenex in them, so I'm doing you a favor.

Once I got back to work on Wednesday, I had a hefty lunch of roasted chicken, broccoli, half a sweet tater, and some mango avocado salsa.

It felt good to be back.

After work on Wednesday, I met up with a friend at the Chobani shop in Soho.

It's like a frozen yogurt shop but with fresh, healthy yogurt.

I got one of the seasonal menu items: 2% yogurt, grapefruit, honey, and mint.

It was so delish and we got to keep the little cups that the yogurt comes in!

I will definitely be going back for more!

 Afterwards, we made the obligatory stop at Xocolatti for a few chocolates.

Left to right: Pineapple Habanero, Olive Oil Basil, Sake, and Rose Cardamom.

These were so tiny and delicious and were decorated so beautifully, it was difficult to eat them.

But, someone had to do it :)

I also bought some Blueberry Clusters and snacked on a few of those the next day...okay, I had more than a few.

Then I brought myself back to reality and had a real lunch: salmon, kale, and roasted veggies.

Mmm, getting back on track sure tastes delicious. I'm hoping that I don't want to die tomorrow during my 10 mile training run. Wish me luck and, as always, have fun being bad.

-t

Eat food.

My friends often come to me with questions about health and nutrition.

Is [insert brand here] healthy? Will [insert food here] make me fat?

The truth is this: there are a lot of different versions of healthy. Some people think animal products are unhealthy, while others think fat is unhealthy. There are those who think carbs are the devil or who swear by diet frozen dinners.

There is not one universal truth when it comes to choosing healthy foods, unfortunately. While I will give you my personal opinion, keep in mind that it is just that -- opinion. I do not think that this way of eating works for everyone universally, nor do I think that anyone who disagrees with me is stupid, misinformed, or unhealthy. It is simply what makes most sense to me and aligns with my body and lifestyle. So here goes...

I tend to subscribe to Michael Pollan's Food Rules. His premise is basically summed up like this:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

That's his line, not mine. The rest of his book goes on to explain this sentiment. But essentially, that's it. 

And friends, he's just saying it a different way, but the message is always the same. You want to get thinner? Eat and exercise right. You want to bulk up? Eat and exercise right. You "just want to tone"? Eat and exercise right. Want to just be healthier? Eat and exercise right. 

There's no secret or magic pill or supplement that you're missing out on. All the healthy people in the world aren't eating the new magic superfood that isn't available in your local grocery store which is the reason you're out of shape or unhealthy.

So, what is food? Meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and grains. If it was once alive or grew from a tree or the ground, it's food.

One of my favorite rules of his: If it grew on a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't.

In terms of processed foods: milk, cheese, deli meats, cookies, pancakes, granola bars, cereal, bread, mixes, sauces, and anything else found in the center of the grocery store, I try to either make it myself or buy something with as few ingredients as possible. 

I don't [usually] buy sweets from the grocery store (this excludes chocolate, for some reason, but my addiction to that is waining), but bread, chips, tortillas, and sauces are all scrutinized for their ingredients. I aim to buy things with either less than five ingredients or all recognizable and desirable ingredients. Salsa, for example, usually has more than five ingredients, but they're usually ones I recognize: tomatoes, onions, spices, and peppers (I skip the ones with sugar added). I usually buy brown rice or corn tortillas over GF bread because of all the ingredients.

So, this is the standard that I try to live my life by. I do say TRY. Because it isn't always easy and I do veer from it. Like last night, when I made pizza on Udi's GF crust. Clearly, I don't strictly adhere to this way of eating, but it is my goal.

So, there you have it. That's my personal food philosophy. Feel free to reach out with questions and, as always, have fun being bad.

-t