Books for fun and cooking up a storm

Look! I can make chili (actually not that hard) with organic brown basmati rice!

This is my first, last, and only vacation where I can legitimately do whatever I want. The reason behind this is because I am home in CT for only a month and am not re-committing myself to a place I do not permanently live job-wise, and I could not stay in NYC for the time between the end of my semester and studying abroad in Italy.  Therefore, I have been spending my time doing a bit of freelance work, hitting the gym, cooking, writing, reading, and watching tv. I think I have become TV-saturated and have been going to the gym regularly. I need to go to the rink soon to skate... maybe tomorrow. I keep putting it off for multiple reasons. In terms of cooking, I am proud to say that I have made socca bread from the Pure2Raw girls, vegan cupcakes (for fun, even though no one in my family is vegan), vegetarian chili, veggie udon, popcorn (so obsessed), museli (I like mine with almond milk and diced figs- I really love figs), tea, coffee, and several other things I can't think of at the moment.

Steamed parnip became pure mashed parsnip -yum!

I am planning on executing a smoothie in the near future from Pooja's delicious recipes online at PoojasWay.com like her Blueberry, Cardamom & Coconut Protein smoothie:

Photo courtesy of PoojasWay.com

I am definitely not a regular cook so some of these simple recipes took me a while, but they all worked out ok :) I have been using my new Korin knives from Pooja and they are magical. Not yet sure what I am doing for New Years, but I spent Christmas with a childhood friend who attends Barnard. It was nice to catch up. We got Chinese food and saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I highly recommend the movie, but my parents who read both books said the books are better. I find the person Stieg Larsson very fascinating. Anyways, my life in CT is much less exciting than in NYC, where I am also randomly seeing celebrities go home (I creepily know where Mario Batali lives), eating at awesome restaurants, and chilling with my jaded New York friends.


Goal-wise, I have been drinking more water, but not nearly enough. I have successfully been avoiding drinking liquid calories. Mostly just tea.

Thanks @RishiTea!

 I think I still need to cut down on my overall food intake and eat slower. I have been going to the gym, but I know I really need to switch up my workout a bit more. I am getting hooked on jump roping and am half-jokingly considering trying a kick boxing class. I really need to skate. I am full of excuses. 


In terms of books I have been reading (my library is awesome!), I read a fantastic personal finance book "Hot Broke Messes" by Nancy Trejos and am figuring out my finances and all that jazz. I figure that since I am becoming a real-live adult I should know how these things work to the n-th degree (because that is how I roll). Speaking of finances, I had a near mental breakdown today when there was a misunderstanding with my bank that led me to believe that all of my money had been wiped out of my account due to identity theft. It wasn't true and all is taken care of, but that was a scary moment.

I am literate!

I also finished Mindy Kaling from The Office's new book "Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me (and other concerns)" and it was hilarious and cute. Very easy and fun read. However, I wasn't a fan of Bethenny Frankel's book because I felt like it was too basic for me, which means I must know something about food/cooking! I really like the idea of brunch from Post Punk Kitchen and my inconstant aversion to meat makes veganism/vegetarianism all the more appealing.  Starting the new-ish Chelsea Handler book, but since I love her other books ("My Horizontal Life" is the best), I expect to like this one, too. 

 Learning should be fun and not solicited. For example, my nerdy self chose to watch some TED talks online to learn something from some smart people and because I was genuinely curious. 

I really like getting to read something without the pretenses of having to write something about the piece or get graded on reading something I may or may not be interested in. Plus, the library facilitates this healthy habit of my compulsive reading for free. Fantastic. I was looking for an easy-to-read, attention-grabbing book on the art of marketing, but I think I am either going to have to search really hard or to write it myself. Speaking of writing, I am considering writing a book that will be self-published to avoid the legal and time drama. Thoughts?

Bye for now :) I wish you all a healthy and happy new year!

New-found inspiration for my fitness regimen!

Going to the gym went better today. I went to the 'women's area,' which I thought would be weird because the connotations of a women-specific section that exist in my mind led me to think of fannatical religious people. However, the person at Gold's Gym justifiably explained that a woman who is 50 pounds overweight is more comfortable working out in front of women only, instead of feeling added pressure from men- fair. The machines were basically the same (maybe a little nicer), but I doubt I am commiting to the women's section for now- it was more of a curious experiment.

While at the gym, I really felt like I was doing something good for my body and felt more motivated (with a fantastic playlist via Pandora). I did the elliptical for an hour, treadmill for about 15 minutes, some weight training (I know it is better to do weights one day and cardio another, but I was inspired), a bit of jump rope, and stretched. In terms of food, I ate an over-sized vegetarian salad (I think the only foods that you should eat more than 1 traditional serving of are veggies, fruits, and water in order to get your full fix of nutrients for the day) for brunch with pure tea. For a snack, I ate dried dates, which I am equally as obsessed with as figs.  For dinner, I ate veggies, purple potatoes, and home-made (by me!) popcorn with canola oil- not so healthy, but I wasn't really hungry and I am not really eating meat right now (though my mind could change tomorrow). Since I woke up late today, I might eat again, but not that much. In terms of improvement for next time, I would have liked to steam the potatoes- not fry them and will make the popcorn oil free by popping it in a bag off the cob (a tradition that we carry from our local CT farmers who sell the dried cobs). Usually, I eat way more food, but I think I really need to slow down and be conscious of what I am eating. Now that I am out of class and work for a bit, I can better focus on my health and fitness, which I think I have been allowing to fall by the wayside. I did gain a bit of weight since the summer, and I am hoping to lose it by amping up my regular exercise routine, drinking more water, and making better food choices (like sticking to whole foods, cutting down on my sugar intake, eating less meat, and eating at consistent times). One of the difficulties of college is the lack of consistency in one's schedule- eating becomes a bother and never happens at the same time from one day to the next. I really want to regulate when I wake up, go to sleep, eat, and exercise. I am planning on waking up a bit earlier tomorrow (though I don't have to) and working out in the morning, like I prefer to do. I also talked to my mom about making more of my family's food and she seemed happy (though the lack of meat won't fly for my mom, dad, or brother). I will keep you updated on that. I think part of why I was inspired today is because I realized that even though I did gain a little weight, I don't have to make it a big deal- I control myself and decide how things will go and no one else does. If I want to lose weight, I have to decide to lose that weight. If I don't do anything about it or eat a ton of cookies because I feel stressed (I am totally an emotional eater), it is my own fault that I don't have rockstar abs. I was watching a re-run of MTV's "I Used to Be Fat" (yes, I am a bit addicted to reality tv) and realized that anyone can do anything and achieve anything, as long as they set their mind to do so and make changes to their lives to welcome that change. I would not have gotten into NYU, passed my Senior Moves-in-the-Field ice skating test, become a certified ice skating coach and judge, or even ran my 1st 5K in the Fall if I didn't decide that my goal was important and make steps towards achieving it. I am serious about taking control over my body and am on yet another self-improvement binge, which is a good thing.

Also, I received some lovely gifts in the mail from Pooja today! Besides her kind words in a card, she sent me Endangered Species dark chocolate (which I  shared with my dad), Alter Eco dark chocolate, and Korin knives. It was nice to receive a gift that I can use.

I wanted to also make a side comment that I love coming home to my dogs (both miniature poodles). Dog owners live longer than non-pet owners and it is probably because they get a friend to love them unconditionally and play with all of the time. My dogs are crazy and full of energy most of the time, always seeking attention, but I love them to death. Basically, having a pet is healthy! My pooches got groomed today and look extra cute!

As for tomorrow, I may skate (after a long time of not skating, which is a bad habit I have taken up) and see my coaches after not seeing them for a while. I also want to focus a lot on my abs so I have a super strong core, and I am planning on using Pooja's secrets to sexy abs!

Photo courtesy of PoojasWay.com

Trying Gold's Gym, Rethinking cooking for the family, and GIFTS!

I tried my local Gold's Gym for the first time today and truthfully, I am not sure if I am going to stick with them for my holiday break because I have LA Fitness and my local community center gym on the back burner. I realized that I am spoiled by my gym in NYC, which has TV's on each individual machine. At the gym I went to today, the tv's were posted on the wall, which is fine... except that I kept looking off to them  to my left and right, and I could feel myself veering off to the side. No good. I am fine, but I ended up focusing on my music and declined reading my magazine because I really wanted to read it carefully, not look through it shallowly. In conclusion, I spent about half the time I regularly do at the gym on the elliptical and the treadmill because I noticed how much harder it is to run/ jog/ move without the distraction of a television with a show that you really like. Keep in mind that my entire Freshman year of college, the only time I watched tv was when I went to the gym, so not having a tv is weird for me- again, I am spoiled. However, my local community center's gym is a 15-25 minute drive away and they have machines with tv's. The only problem is that I need a membership for just the month and I really want to like where I am going to commit to. I am going to finish my trial at Gold's and see if my mind changes- I didn't explore half of the gym because I wasn't feeling adventurous and decided I would do so tomorrow.

In terms of food, I realized that I am going to have to make more of a effort to make my own food and likely make food for my family. Yesterday and today, I have been eating leftovers from my mom's cooking, which is healthy and all that jazz, but to control what I am eating, I am going to have to prepare the food myself. My mom is the type of person who gets offended when you don't eat EVERY SINGLE THING that she makes, so you MUST eat it. Yet, she is open to other people cooking, so I think I will be doing that- another lifestyle change for me. This way, I can really stick to my food/ nutrition goals. In terms of goals, I should also add that I need to drink more water. This summer, I drank a ton of water and I am not being as consistent with that habit right now.

Also, I finished unpacking today, which was exhausting. I have acquired so many things from friends and roommates, while I also still had many things in my old room that needed to go. In addition to moving in my things that I live with in NYC, I separated and went through/ trashed my old things that I don't use or need anymore. For example, I am donating t-shirts and jeans that no longer fit me and are not appropriate to my lifestyle as I have owned them since my freshman year of high school (like a bright pink cut off shrug with a matching sparkly tank- terrible). Getting rid of the clutter was very cleansing, like I was removing dirt from my living space. Also, moving large boxes should count as a workout because I was exhausted after- it took about 5 hours of my day. Yikes. At least it is done. Now, I am focusing on preparing things for my trip to Italy... like figuring out what I am going to do with my cell phone :-/

Finally, in case you are like me and get gifts last minute, here is a fab list of 10 gifts under $100 for your health-conscious family and friends from Pooja: http://poojasway.com/article-tips/december-21st-2011-poojas-top-10-last-minute-healthy-living-gifts-under-100/

Photo courtesy of poojasway.com

Moving back in and heath goals for Winter Break

It is official. As of yesterday night, I finished my last exam (which I believe went well) and I came home to Connecticut late last night. I have spent my first official day of vacation sleeping, relaxing, and writing. Yesterday night on the way home from the city (I miss it already!), I wrote out my goals for winter break and tried to be specific so I could tangibly accomplish these goals. I will likely not have an official job over winter break, but I am on a self-improvement binge (again).

Daily goals:

• 1.5- 3 hours exercise (1 hr skating, 30 min run, 30 min stretch/ yoga, 1 hr class/ workout/weights, etc.)... Now, I just need to join a gym at home. I am thinking Gold's Gym because I could walk to one nearby to me :)
• 1 hr studying Italian/ reading/ watching Italian tv. I am going to Italy, so I don't want to forget the language and I want to study up on the history. I think when you know information about something, it enriches your appreciation of that experience, so I hope by increasing my knowledge of Italy, I will appreciate my time living there more!
• 30 min-1 hr writing- whether a book or my blog
• 1 hr reading. I really didn't have that much time to read for fun, so I am hoping to catch up!
•  Make better whole food choices. I want to really break down and plan what I am going to eat everyday. Here is a plan that I hope to stick to:
• Breakfast: Smoothie (from Pooja's smoothie recipes)
• Snack: fresh or dried fruit like a banana or apple 
• Lunch: salad
• Snack: tea and fruit juice, maybe a few nuts if I am hungry
• Dinner: soup, steamed veggies, organic whole grain like brown rice or whole wheat couscous
• Dessert: Frozen fruit with tea
• Track my food daily in my food log. I haven't been consistent with this and I see it as something that I should stick with because it helps me stay on track

Today, I was going to start this plan. However, I think I woke up too late and went to sleep too early and had too many unpacking/ life-related things to take care of today that interfered with going to the gym today. I did make popcorn straight from the kernels, and ate my mom's whole food cooking (my mom should legitimately open a restaurant).  After publishing this, I am going to finish unpacking my tons of stuff (most of which I realized I acquired from other people and didn't start with so much stuff!).

My excuse for no gym today: I am mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted from moving and traveling. Most of all, I think it is going to be really hard for me to adjust from living in NYC. I love the noise, speed, and excitement of the city, which are all completely absent from the suburbs where I live. Additionally, I feel like I am leaving a lot of friends, memories, favorite restaurants, and overall part of me in the city. I spent the last year and a half living in a place that I will not return to for the next 5+ months. However, I do hope to move back into the city over the summer. I grew up a lot in the last 2 years or so (becoming a real live grown up and all of that) and most of that time was living in the greatest city in the world. My sadness for leaving is also met with excitement for new adventures in Italy and appreciation of the opportunities that I have had in NYC and am going to have abroad. For now, I really want to get my body in tip top shape because I think that it could still use a bit of refining now that I can focus more directly on my fitness goals without distractions (a big benefit of suburban living!).

Finishing finals and indulging in salad

I am finishing up with my finals and moving out this weekend. My birthday was nice and I saw my friend Wei last night and we went out for Indian food at Brick Lane Curry House (aka delicious). I love spicy foods because they are full of flavor, and not necessarily huge on calories. After working out this morning, I got salad and orzo as a side dish, so I put the orzo in my salad -> so much better! I also had coffee with skim milk after drinking at least 2000 ml of water (according to the markings on my water bottle). Also, getting proper amounts of sleep has been very helpful. My current attitudes to moving from NYC is bittersweet because it has been my lovely home for 1.5 years, but the suburbs will be a quiet change for a month until I move to Italy. #excited

 In the meantime, I think I am going to start off my time at home with a new exercise regimen and put Pooja's Ab workout to work: http://poojasway.com/article-fitness/november-8-2011-the-truth-behind-year-round-sexier-abs/. I am really looking forward to getting my abs super sculpted ;)

Photo courtesy of poojasway.com

Rishi Tea and Pomegranate Basil Apple Cleanser for Me!

I dropped the ball and forget to tell you all about my recent gift from Rishi Tea (@rishitea)given the hecticness of exam-time! I got green, mint, red, and black tea from them as part of Pooja's team. Check it out: 

Red tea!!!

The red and black teas are really good, but I am obsessed with the mint. Usually, I am not a big mint tea fan because it tends to be overbearingly minty- like a bad candy or mint oil. I just wasn't a big must-drink mint- that was until I drank Rishi's mint tea. Legitimately, they have the best mint tea out there. It is minty, but in a peaceful way that is complemented by its natural sweetness, which is why I like Yogi Egyptian licorice tea so much- it is naturally sweet (but not in a sugary way). I am obsessed (and I also started devoting more time to boiling the water for my tea and not microwaving it- I know, it is lazy to do that- and my tea tastes so much better!). Really, doing things slower pays off!

Also, I am really lusting after making Pooja's newest creation- a Pomegranate Basil Apple Cleanser:

Pomegranate Basil Apple Cleanser. Photo courtesy of poojaway.com.

I am super excited to make this recipe, but because I am moving out of my apartment in a week, I think I am going to hold off buying and making this. It will be made in the next week or so.

Also, since my birthday is tomorrow, this weekend was filled with going out to dinner with friends- which is awesome since I live in the delicious food mecca (aka NYC). I recommend all of these places, which I had eaten at before: Piola, Vapiano, and Friend House. So good! Now, back to studying ;)

Healthy Lunch and Siggi's Yogurt

I just went to Whole Foods to get lunch, unsweetened soy milk, and yogurt.

Lunch= brown rice with salsa, guacamole, mixed greens, beans, and super whole grain tortilla bread (I added all natural hot sauce and pepper- I love spicy!)

In terms of yogurt, Pooja  (@poojamottl, @poojasway) wanted me to try Siggi's Yogurt since I wasn't really a fan of full fat unprocessed yogurts.  Siggi's is "Icelandic style skyr strained non-fat yogurt" that is all-natural from grass fed cows, without any added chemicals/ preservatives/ additives/ hormones/ grossness. Plus, with no fat and low calorie servings (100 calories/ serving), this is an awesome healthy choice. I have actually had Siggi's Yogurt before and I am a huge fan! It is thick, but in a good way, and tastes dreamy. I added honey and flax seeds to my plain Siggi's yogurt.

I took these pics, but you can follow @siggisyogurt

Also, I was out of milk, so I got my unsweetened soy milk!

Loves me my unsweetened soy milk!

I think of unsweetened soy milk like regular milk- I don't add sugar to my regular milk because doing that would be gross. 

I think Siggi's is my new favorite yogurt (next to Wallaby, of course). #obsessed. Also, now I have a new yogurt to dip figs into!

Excited for my birthday dinner tomorrow with some friends!

Hugo (without the popcorn) + #SustainableMeals

I love popcorn. I don't even think that I can explain how much I love popcorn. It is one of my favorite foods (next to figs, cookies, licorice tea, pho, samosas, pickles, chickpeas, corn, and black beans), but happens to be a food that is eaten unhealthily most of the time. Obviously, traditional movie theater popcorn is loaded with fake butter (it is squirtable at room temperature- ew!?!) and drowned in salt (enough to constitute an entire mine).

Photo courtesy of themovieblog.com.

Being a classic tradition, going to the movies ( among all good things) is somehow tied in to eating- in this case, popcorn. I actually never get popcorn at the movies because of the poor quality and overall unhealthiness of the way my beloved popcorn is prepared. I went to see the movie "Hugo" in 3D this weekend with some friends, and needless to say, I really liked it. The premise is that an orphan boy lives in a train station fixing clocks, but believing he can uncover a secret message left by his father. The cool part of the movie is that it was about the movies (very meta). Parts were cheesey, but it was good.

Photo courtesy of badassdigest.com.

Anyways, I didn't eat anything while I was watching the movie because when there is a big screen distracting you, you tend to eat way more than you would in day light if you were paying attention. Also, in general, it is a bad idea to eat in front of a television screen because presentations of food are shown to increase appetite or at least make you think you should eat when you aren't even hungry. On the flip side, watching videos of food while you are eating (a meal) actually makes the food taste better- advertisers are really smart, guys.

I missed my popcorn, but I wasn't hungry or missing out on the movie experience (plus 3D is kind of awesome). The next time I will make popcorn will probably be at home where I pop kernels in a bag from the dried cob or in a closed pot (whole versions of food are always better). That way, I choose what I add. Usually, I add splashes of cinnamon, sugar, salt or throw in small chocolate pieces or crushed candy cane pieces to melt over the hot popped kernels- yum. Making your own versions of any food help you control how much of what ingredients go into your body without the chemicals of prepackaged (yellow-orange tinged) popcorns.

Also, make sure to catch the twitter party today hosted by @PoojaMottl! I am participating, too.

poojasway jane adams 

join @PoojaMottl @eatsustainable and @GoodGuide at 4pm EST today for our #SustainableMeals twitter chat! use the hashtag to join the convo

YOU CAN WIN TONS OF FREE STUFF! #SustainableMeals

Counter Culture Coffee and Aztec Quinoa Salad

I went to Counter Culture Coffee with Jane and Pooja today for a 'cupping,' which is basically a coffee tasting of high quality beans. We wanted to try high quality coffee and learn about the food. Basically, I learned that organic coffee taste different from themselves (slightly) because their flavors may be more potently concentrated in certain bean grinds than others of the same variety. Also, I learned that I have issues with black coffee- I enjoy my splash of unsweetened soy milk- call me faint of heart. I was also in coffee shock after trying all of the different coffees black and decided to slow down. We smelled dry and wet coffees from Kenya and other parts of Africa, all of which smelled very earthy. Strangely, one smelled and tasted like tomato soup, while another was more flowery and fruity. The adding of the water and settling of the grinds in the coffee entirely changed the flavor of the coffee. I definitely liked the more traditionally flavored type of coffee. The entire experience reminded me of a wine tasting- very exploratory and best for those who are OBSESSED. I like coffee a lot, but I would not die without it either. I am thankful for the experience, nevertheless, and I am happy I had this experience. It was very interesting.

After, I went to Eataly with Jane to grab lunch. I got a Gus's pomegranate soda and a freshly made mushroom pannini. It was delicious. 'Nough said. Since the Union Square Greenmarket was open today, I made sure to stop by and buy foccaccia from Our Daily Bread (it is $3 and delicious- I am obsessed!).

Currently, I am preparing organic brown basmati rice with lentils and spices. With the leftover rice, I am considering making to psudo- rice pudding with my leftover unsweetened soy milk, honey, brown sugar, flax seeds, and cinnamon. Soon, I plan to make this recipe for Aztec quinoa: http://poojasway.com/article-cooking/december-1st-2011-aztec-quinoa-salad-wpinto-beans-chili-avocado-lime-dressing/

AZTEC QUINOA SALAD W/PINTO BEANS & CHILI-AVOCADO-LIME DRESSING. 

PHOto courtesy of poojasway.com.