I'm addicted to green juice...

Hey Y'all!

How is everyone doing? I had a fab morning and slept in until 9:30 :) You know you're getting old when 9:30 seems late! As usual, I feel like I have a gazillion things to catch you up on. My week has yet again been crazy and I haven't had a second to sit down and blog :( Wah.

In my last post, I forgot to include a recipe for the Cedar Plank Salmon I made on Monday night. My mom has been making this fantastic fish for a few years now, and last time I went to see her she gave me a pack of cedar planks as a parting gift! SCORE. The deal with this type of salmon is that when you put the cedar plank with fish on the grill, the cedar infuses the fish with a smokey flavor. DELISH. You can put the plank in the oven, but you won't get that same smokey essence to the fish. I know this because I put mine in the oven :) My mom advised against it, however the walk down to my shared apartment patio to fire up the charcoal grill seemed like too much work! Despite lacking some of the taste my mom's cedar plank salmon has, my oven did a pretty good job and PJ and I both enjoyed the fish!

Grilled Cedar –Plank Salmon

1 Cedar Plank

1 Wild Salmon Fillet (with skin)  (I use a 1 1/2 to 2 pound whole side of salmon to

feed 4-5 people

Dijon Mustard (there are many herbed/flavored/ whole grain mustards ~Choose

one that sparks your interest)

Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

1 lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Soak cedar plank, submerged completely in water for 2 hours prior to grilling.  (Weigh plank down with pot filled with water to keep it submerged)

Feel the salmon for pin bones that usually run along the length.  To remove them easily, invert a bowl on your counter. Lay the fish over the bowl and it will help expose the pin bones, making them easier to remove. (Your best tools to pull them out with are needle-nose pliers or your trusty eyebrow tweezers, sufficiently disinfected before and after, of course.)

Set the fish on a plate, skin side down. Squeeze 1-tbsp lemon juice over the fish.  Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the fresh rosemary over the fish…use a good amount. Spread the fish with a layer of mustard. (You can even sprinkle a small amount of brown sugar over the top if you like that flavor combo). Let fish sit at room temp for 20 minutes before grilling.

Preheat grill to medium high temp.  If your grill has 2 zones, heat one side to high and one side to low.

Remove plank from water and dry.  Place fish on plank (if you have a piece of fish that gets very thin down toward the tail, double it under itself to make the whole piece of fish an even thickness.

Tuck a few thin slices of lemon under the fish and if desired, place some sprigs of rosemary and/or thyme over the fish.

Place plank directly on the grill grate (the low temp side if dual zone). Cover grill.  Grill until internal temp of fish is 125 degrees. (app 20 minutes) You should be able to see the white fish proteins beginning to emerge from the top of the fish.

Remove plank with fish to the table.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Mine.

Roasted sweet potato side

Yummers. This is such a quick and easy meal to make. I plan on making it again this weekend when I have access to a real grill :) Note** My mom got me a pack of cedar planks for about 10 bucks at costco, however you can find them at the fish counter usually ! :)

OK, moving on. Another quick and easy meal I whipped up this week (and kind of made up!) was this awesome quinoa,kale, and chicken salad. I made a zesty mustard dressing to top the salad which I think made the dish. Sometimes I think I eat salad just because I love the dressing so much!

Bad photo, I know. The important part is that is tasted fab and the leftovers were perfect to pack for lunch the next day!

Quinoa and Kale Salad

(adapted from pcc natural markets)

**Note** I didn't make the quinoa the way they suggested in the recipe. I cooked the quinoa according to the package and close to the end of cooking, I stirred in some garlic and tumeric.

Random beautiful picture taken my my momma. Hydrangeas make my heart sing.

I had to snap a photo before work on Thursday .I was wearing my fave seersucker pants, and I'm pretty sure that this was the last time this summer I can get away with sporting these fashionable duds. PS- I have had these pants since sophomore year of college which speaks to the fact that investing in high quality, classic pieces is the way to go! :) My mom has been telling me this since I was very small. Smart woman she is.

Thursday was an interesting day. I again ended up at DOCO (the juice bar and organic market I wrote about on Wednesday) to slug down another green juice. I am going to go broke stopping here every am, but the juices give me so much energy and I feel so good!

The adorable owner and her staff.

Samples

Display :)

my juice. nom. nom nom

complimentary macaroon from the owner. DELISH. Note** Macaroons are one of my FAVORITE foods EVER.

Thursday proved to be another interesting day at "the office". I had a lunch presentation with one of my customers, and when I walked into the lunch room this big contraption was there. I asked about it, and apparently it is to help release tension in your back.  Well, I just had to hop on. Wouldn't you want to?! They strapped me in and back I went. It was such a cool feeling! On a side note, I think that I have moved to a new level with this account! They may now just think I'm a wierdo-which is kind of accurate :)

Random pic from the week: These are my best friend's doggies Emma and Milo. I love these two little muffins with all my heart- and clearly they love each other :)

One of my favorite views taken from the end of my street.

Okay, enough with my random photos :) Thursday night, PJ and I went to dinner with another couple to Madame Claude's Cafe ( I have blogged about this little gem in previous posts!). We enjoyed a fabulous meal and some great company!

Clearly, we had the escargot app again- it is the best escargot I have ever had.

Adorable couple dancing to Manouche' Bag (gypsy jazz) .On second thought,  maybe this couple isn't all that adorable as our table took note that this dude danced with every woman at his table throughout the evening. Energizer dancer man.

I have been really feeling yoga this week, but last night I was in the mood for some seriously loud music and  to work up a crazy sweat. Like I said in previous posts, I only spin 1x per week because it is hard on my body and I find that I look forward to it more. Last night, my favorite instructor was leading the pack, so I hopped on the bike for a Friday night ride. It rocked.

Something to discuss:

If I am not taking a soul cycle class (which requires major coordination), I tend to close my eyes in spin class. I find that it has really improved my riding experience as I can visualize whatever I choose instead of staring at the nasty, sweaty person in front of me. I sing with the music and float off into my own little world. Something I have always disliked about spinning is that you are gazing out into nothingness and it totally bores me. Take away: try closing your eyes and see how it works for you :).

Last night after class I made some bangin' fish tacos:

MMM.

Blooper. I put my taco shell in the pan to heat up and got in the shower.OOPS. Cajun fish taco's anyone?

Last night was a great friend's birthday, so I headed into the city to celebrate.

The beautiful birthday girl and I. (Megalicious-thanks for the shirt!)

Have an amazing Saturday, my friends! I'll see you all tomorrow!

xo

Sarah

Happy Hump Day!

Hello my friends!

Wow, this week is flying by (which you know I love !). I hope you are all having a fun and speedy week too!

Not too much going on over here. I will admit I have been watching numerous episodes of  "Million Dollar Listing" (both New York and LA) on BRAVO.  I'm a HGTV addict, so another show where I can spy into people's homes (especially the rich and famous) is right up my ally!

Today was my first day back to exercising after a week hiatus.

It was definitely an interesting study for me as I rarely take a whole week off from moving the ol' bod. It isn't that I am particularly afraid of what will happen to my body (intellectually I know I am not going to gain 10lbs because I don't "work out" for a week), I just begin to feel lethargic and disconnected from my body. I am someone who notices a huge impact on my mood when I choose to exercise or not. Last week I just wasn't feeling it. I was tired of my regular routine, and frankly was just too busy to fit it in. Last weeks lethargy kind of rolled into this week, and today I finally buckled down and did some yoga. As I suspected, my mood immediately improved :) What I did learn from my hiatus is that sometimes your body needs a break to reset, rejuvenate, and REMOTIVATE! In her book Naturally Thin (which I have mixed thoughts on..) Betheny Frankel says that she views exercise as a good friend that she can always come back to and catch up with. I really like Betheny's perspective; Just because you don't get to exercise one week, doesn't mean you have failed as a "friend" and can never make up for your absence. (Side note: I love Betheny and think she is fab. I saw her as I was driving through NYC and it took all my power not to stop the car, roll down the window, and yell "I love you Betheny!"- creepy fan)

 

Amazing "green" juice I had this am (there was leftover beet in the juicer so that is why it looks red). It was amazeballs. I will be back tomorrow AM to try another concoction for sure. If you are a JC resident, check  this place out : DOCO Market and Cafe'  (they are on facebook.) They make fresh juices, smoothies, sandwiches, salads etc. The staff is SO nice and accommodating. Do yourself a favor GO.



In other news,  PJ and I finally had "make your own pizza" night. Last time we attempted this, it turned into order your own pizza night.

Yes, I'm awesome.

Fresh whole wheat pizza dough. **NOTE**  I couldn't find fresh whole wheat pizza dough anywhere! (weird I know). My brilliant momma suggested going to a pizza shop and getting the dough! I was able to get fresh whole wheat dough on the spot! Keep that in mind if you're ever in the same boat!

Ingredients!

Yummy Salad with homemade vinaigrette, toasted pine nuts, and hearts of palm that I made to go with the Za'. 

His.

Hers.

My pizza had nectarines, brie, sage, and onions. I adapted the recipe from Running to the Kitchen. If you want to check it out: http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/2012/07/from-bookmark-to-blog-nectarine-sage-brie-pizza/

Random cute pic xoxoxo

Dinner on Saturday night. Grilled cheese with Brie on brioche and some other yummies. I am going to turn into a wheel of Brie after Friday and Saturday nights' din dinns! MMMM Don't mind if I do :)

Before I go.. I will leave you a couple inspirational snacks :)

Listen to Your Body & Trust Your Instincts

 

 

SOOOO TRUE, RIGHT?!

 

I have also included an article that I found a few weeks ago and to me it was extremely moving. You can access it at www.mindbodygreen.com

 

I Love to Eat

By Jennifer Pastiloff

As I was standing in line at Trader Joe's, minding my own sweet business, I opened a package of dried seaweed. An older man, about 75 years old, standing in line in front of me started staring at my breasts, then proceeded to look me up and down. With what sounded like a Russian accent came, "You sure like to eat!"

 

“What the what?” I thought as every former anorexic panic button set off inside me.

 

"I am not even sure how to take what you just said to me." (Why I dignified him with even so much as a word is beyond me.)

 

He Russian accented me, "You'll put on weight if you keep eating."

 

Then he walked away… off to offer his sage wisdom to another unsuspecting stranger, I am sure.

 

I felt the old need to yell, "But it's just seaweed! And I am a yoga teacher! Are you calling me fat?"

 

Then I got angry at myself: “Jennifer, you know better!” I think I might have said this out loud, but the people that work at Trader Joe's are usually totally hip and cool, and my cashier didn't even acknowledge it, but rather said, "You look great."

 

Again, besides the point! Nothing needs defending here.

 

This creepy old fart, all of a sudden, has taken my power away and, like magic, everyone, on cue apparently, needs to make excuses and defend and justify the very, very evil: FOOD.

 

(As well as commenting on my figure, and its curves or lack thereof.)

 

Such a statement on our weight/food obsessed culture. Even from an old nosy man, I am getting flack for being too fat or too skinny or eating too much or not enough.

 

I used to have a fear that people would stop asking me, “Are you ill?” It made me feel like I stood out, like I was special. When someone told me I looked “healthy,” I panicked. (I know that this is hard to believe for the people who know me now, especially my students.)

 

Had the COF (Creepy Old Fart) said this to me ten years ago, I would have gotten back into my car and had a full blown panic attack. I would have decided that he was right and I eat too much, so I would stop eating and lose weight… and why was I such a loser and why and why and Oh My God and I can't breathe and I am a pig and Oh My God and I will just exercise for four hours tomorrow and I do like to eat, he's right, I am bad....

 

(imitation of my old attacks.)

 

The way he said, "You like to eat!" was like an accusation, like I should be burned alive at the stake. I realize a lot of women live like this (I am sure men as well). I used to.

 

This notion that eating is something to be ashamed of or forgiven for, I cannot believe the thought crossed my mind to defend myself with it just being seaweed.

 

“Forgive me Sir, it is just seaweed with a little wasabi. It's not much? I am so sorry.”

 

And, so what if someone gains weight? This is the other thing I have been thinking about since this incident. So what? Then what? You are no longer you? You will no longer have your job or your kids or your thoughts or memories? No one will love you?

 

Bullsh*t!

 

People equating their beloved self worth with their oh-so very temporary bodies.

 

I wish I had dug into my car for my Salt & Vinegar Chips, which I would have done had I been able to reach them.

 

 

AMEN, SISTA!!

 

And with that I'm off to spend the evening catching up on work and relaxing with the boys ;)

 

xo

Sarah

Finally Friday! Wheee :)

Oh, Hey! Long time no talk!

FYI- I love glasses. Anyways, I realize I am probably the worst blogger ever. I have been crazy busy these past two weeks, but I vow to organize my time better (I really need to do this!) so I can keep the posts comin'! I'm not really sure if I am being presumptuous to assume that anyone has missed me, but I  can tell you for sure that my new mommy co-worker (she peruses my posts during 3 am feedings :) !) and my own mommy have missed me at least!

Here are some updates from the past week!

On Sunday evening, I made dinner for some girlfriends.  I made an awesome appy that I snagged from Iowa Girl Eats.

These were so delicious and easy to make! To check out the recipe: http://iowagirleats.com/2012/07/31/bacon-wrapped-almond-stuffed-dates-aka-juice-cleanse-killers/

Um, clearly my photography skills are lacking as the pic from the original recipe is WAY better. These kind of look like something VERY inedible (catch my drift?!), but I swear they rock.

 Dinner: Seared sea scallops with pineapple jalapeno salsa  and coconut rice!

I have never made coconut rice before, but it was really fun and easy. I don't think I really like coconut rice in general (I have never had it?!) , but I did enjoy making it!

I adapted the recipe from Oh She Glows which is a vegan website. What I love about the recipes on this site are that they are extremely creative and flavorful, and you can easily substitute ingredients and non veganize (word?!) them. For example, her recipe called for tofu rather than scallops. If you are interested in recipe, here it is! http://ohsheglows.com/2012/07/09/grilled-tofu-with-pineapple-salsa-and-coconut-rice/

**NOTE** The salsa is VERY spicy. There was a lot of coughing and water drinking going on at my little dinner party. If I were you, I would cut down the amount of jalapeno the recipe calls for!

In other news, I also made this bangin' cilantro lime chickpea salad this week (also adapted from oh she glows). PJ and I loved it! Check it out here: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/27/cilantro-lime-chickpea-salad-sweat-wicking-workout-wear/

If you've noticed, I'm not very creative in the kitchen. I had a convo with my mom and a girlfriend about this a few weekends back. I am learning which flavors compliment each other and occasionally, I will successfully adapt a recipe to my own liking. However, the number of  times my adaptation fails far outnumber the successful attempts. With that said, for now I'm going to leave the creative cooking to my friends, family, and other bloggy friends. If you want some wonderful, inventive recipes, check out my friend over at http://thatssojenn.com

In other non- food news, I was a bit of a theater sl*t (thanks, Val for coining this term!) this week! On Wednesday, I went to see The End of the Rainbow  starring Tracie Bennet.

Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE Judy Garland. Over the course of my years, I have read three books on Judy's life. She was such a talented actress and singer, and I find her whole rise  to and fall from fame so tragic. I have loved Judy from a very young age...

Me as Dorothy. My mom sequinned those little shoes for me by hand. I probably wore them everyday, all day,  following that Halloween! I finally grew out of them :( hrummph.

Ok, back to the show. If you get a chance, I would DEFINITELY recommend seeing  The End of the Rainbow. The acting and portrayal of Judy in my opinion, were spot on. Tracie Bennet's voice is PHENOMENAL and really made me feel as if I was actually getting a sneak peek into Judy Garland's final years.  I also bumped into one of the Real Housewives of New York City! Score!

On a funny side note, when you order wine at the theater, did you know they give it to you in a sippy cup? That's right. I'm talking the kind of cup you would give a toddler. I understand them not wanting you to spill all over the actors, but for those of us who insist on swigging out of a proper wine glass (me)- sippy cups filled with wine feel wrong for so many  reasons. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers I suppose!

On Thursday night, PJ and I went to see The Book of Mormon.  He gave me the tickets back in December to mark three years together :) Can you believe he had to get the tickets in December for an August show?! Crazy. 

 

 

This show was AMAZING. PJ (who does not like theater to put it nicely) loved the show. The two of us laughed through the entire performance. We woke up on Friday morning and played the soundtrack as we drank coffee and prepared for our respective days. We were still giggling. As funny as the content of the show is, the actors are GREAT and their voices are mind-blowing. I find it really impressive that the creators of this show were able to blend the humor of the shows topic and the fantastic acting/singing / music so well.

Yet another glass of wine in a sippy cup...bottoms up!

Snackies :) Guess how much it costs for two sippy cups of wine and one package or theater trail mix? That's right, a reasonable THIRTY DOLLARS! Ridonculous!

PJ lookin' sexy on the subway.

So, kiddies- that is what I have been up to. Last night, PJ and I finally made our own pizzas. I'll update you on that tomorrow.  Today is a gray Saturday, which I am actually psyched about because there is a lot of cleaning that needs to be done around this place! I'm going to go and get at some yoga right now as I haven't done any type of exercise all week. I am kind of craving it, but enjoying being lazy, too.  :)

xo

Sarah

And it's Sunday again...

Hey Kids!

Long time no chat! The reason for my recent blogging absence is that my computer died on me, and I had to wait for it to be fixed! Major bummer.  As luck would have it, I  have an incredibly smart and fabulous Dad who fixed it for me and shipped it back as good as new! :)

As I blog to you, I want you all to know that I am watching Bridesmaids for the fifteenth time (seriously!). For some reason, I cannot get enough of this movie. The first time I saw it I didn't think it measured up to all the hype, but I swear each time I watch it I laugh harder. I guess I'm kind of like a child- you know, they find the one book they love and want you to read it to them every day, all day. I'm kind of like that with movies. I'm sad to admit that Bridesmaids is not the first movie I have cycled on repeat. I think it all started in my childhood with absurdly frequent trips to the video store (remember those? haha)  to repeatedly rent Chitty Chitty Bang Bang  and The Cutting Edge. I guess we all have our vices, right?!

I forgot to tell you I was in the movie!

Anywho! I have so much to catch you all up on, but I'll try not to dump it all in this one post. Last week, I made a fantastic stuffed pepper recipe concocted by my bff Katie. It was such an easy, healthy, and filling weeknight meal!

Satisfying Stuffed Peppers
(adapted from Katie !)

What you'll need:
1 package of ground chicken ( I used Turkey)
4 Peppers
Quinoa
Onion
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Chili Powder
Parsley
Basil
8 oz can of tomato sauce
Walnuts (raw)( I used pine nuts )
Lemon
Cheese (gorgonzola, parm, mozz -- optional) ( I chose the gorgonzola route!)
Turn oven on to 350 degrees.
Cook 1 cup of quinoa (per directions).
Cut tops off pepper and clean out the peppers. Wash and set aside.
Saute half an onion and 2 garlic cloves.
After about 3 minutes of sauteing on medium heat, put whole package of ground chicken in pan (with onions/garlic). Cook until no longer pink.
In a bowl, mix quinoa, meat, onions, peppers, chili powder, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, a little lemon juice, and 1/2 can of tomato sauce. ( Taste the mix to make sure it's to your liking). ( I added Siracha and cumin to my mix!)
Stuff peppers with mixture. Top with a little bit of tomato sauce and walnuts.

**If using cheese, do one of two things. IF parmesan, sprinkle on top of peppers. IF gorgonzola or mozz, mix with above mix.

Once done stuffing, place in 2 inch deep pan and cover. Put in oven for 30-35 minutes, until pepper and mix are cooked.
I added a little teeny bit of truffle oil to the top of the stuffed pepper once the pepper came out (that's obviously optional). (The truffle oil drizzle was awesome! However, I would bathe in truffle oil I love it so much)

**NOTE** I had leftover filling so I froze it and will have it on hand for the next time I want to whip these babies up!
Voila! There's your dinner. :)

In other news, I have been a single lady this weekend. PJ is away in Chicago for Lolla Palooza, and he is actually staying with my best friend and her husband while he is there. Needless to say, I am majorly jealous that he gets to be with them and I don't :(

Unfortunately, someone had to stay home and watch this little angel :

On Friday evening, I took a trip to Chelsea Market for dinner.  It certainly was a neat space! There are stores, restaurants, and bakeries (and a lobster pound!?) all inside this maze -like building!

LL and I had dinner at this farm to table restaurant. It was fab!

Amazing chicken liver pate with a yummy sauce! This was definitely my favorite dish of the meal. Instead of ordering entrees, we ordered a few apps and split a main dish. It worked out perfectly! We were able to try a bunch of things without feeling so stuffed that we needed to be wheeled out of the restaurant ! :)

We enjoyed roasted chicken with kale and spaetzel for our main dish. Both LL and I discussed our avoidance of ordering chicken as a main course when out to eat because it is something we both make so often at home. For some reason on Friday night, chicken was what we both wanted despite other great options on the menu! The chicken was delish, but the spaetzel was PHENOMENAL. I could have eaten a whole plate of just that!

Candle in a mason jar. Such a cute idea!

All in all it was a wonderful little Friday. I was in bed reading by 11pm  and snoring at 11:01 :)

Breakfast Saturday AM. Lox plate with a whole wheat bagel.  Get in my belly.

After breakfast, I  hit up the farmers market, got some things done around the apartment, and did a little yoga. As luck would have it, a friend of ours moved into an apartment in Jersey City on Saturday and he has a pool on his roof! Clearly, I am living in the wrong building! He invited some of us over for a little sun and swimming.

I felt like I was on a cruise ship, not in the middle of a city! Awesome :)

Saturday night consisted of some fun with friends!

Sadly it is Sunday again and another great weekend comes to a close. I am happy in a way because PJ comes home tomorrow night !I might miss him a little... just a little :) I topped my weekend off with a late afternoon Soul Cycle class with LL and Katie -I don't know if LL is ever going to talk to me again after I coerced her into joining me for the class! At the end of the class ,the instructor said  "hopefully you are still going to be friends with the person who dragged you here today!" I looked at LL and she looked back at me and said "No, Swin - we are not still friends!" hahah. The class is definitely an intense workout especially for a Sunday!

The girls came back to my casa and I cooked up some dinner for us. I will post pics/recipe tomorrow. LL also gave me an ADORABLE gift marking my one month blogging anniversary! Sweet :)

Measuring spoons from Anthropologie. Totes Adorbs.This was the perfect gift because last time LL and I cooked together, she was intrigued ( or concerned!) by the fact that the measurement readings on my crappy plastic measuring spoons were totally worn off (and that I had been "guestimating" my measurements for quite some time). We had to cross our fingers and hope that we were using the tablespoon and not the teaspoon while we cooked. Ahh! The adrenaline rush ! What can I say, I'm a sucker for a cheap thrill. Hehehe.

On that note, I am going to take Toby for a stroll, get in my jammies, and hop into bed! I'll see you all tomorrow! P.S. Here is a pic of an awesome coffee mug I saw while walking around Friday night. The message really resonates with me and maybe it will with you , too :)

xo