Up to Beantown

Hello all! If you can’t tell from the title, it’s going to a Boston recap kind of post. So if you’re not a fan of Boston or recaps, please feel free to move along.

The plan on Friday was to wake up early which shouldn’t have been a problem since I’ve been working up at 6am with no problem at all. But of course the day I have a train to catch, I decide to start using the snooze button like it’s no ones business. I never hit the snooze button since it’s one of my biggest pet peeves ever. I don’t get the concept of setting an alarm if you’re just going to hit the snooze button over and over again. I would rather wake up, bitch about waking up so early and get on with my days but yeah, the day didn’t start out well. Neyal drove me over to the Metro and gave me specific instructions on what to do. I’m not sure why I was so nervous about riding it alone but she assured me I would be fine since the mentally challenged do it all on their own every day. I’ve been on there before with others but I guess when going at it solo with a time restraint, I wanted to make sure everything would be right. I was surprised at how easy it was. The only issue as always was sketchy people on there which odds are, there will always be a few bad apples. This girl was sitting across from me and just kept staring at me. It was very creepy, when I was look over to the side, so would she. When I would look down, so would she. I wasn’t sure if we were playing the whole don’t bat your eyelashes game but I was relieved when the Union Station stop finally came up.

All I had to do was go up the escalator and I was there. They have a bunch of self serve kiosks just like the airport so it was easy to get my ticket and go.

Leave it to me to sniff the aroma of Starbucks in the air. The line was absolutely out of control as expected however I thought it was pretty efficient of them to have someone going to each person in line, getting their order and then telling the baristas via headset. I thought I would go up to the cashier, grab my coffee and go since there eight or nine people in front of me. But I got up there and my drip coffee wasn’t ready and I got my sandwich and the cheese was melted to the bag, it wasn’t a good way to start the morning. Add that to some creeper hitting on me while charging my phone and I was ready to get on that train.

Well, Matilda was ready as well. She was excited for her first trip to New England.

All aboard!

Matilda was the perfect girl to have with me since we got a seat on the quiet car. I wish planes would adopt this because it was so nice and peaceful. No cellphones, loud music, loud conversation or crying babies What more could you want? When someone’s phone went up, the conductor came right over and told them no phone calls, how it was the quiet cart and all. I just raised my fist in the air a little and mouthed “Word” since silence is golden.  I slept a little and chatted with the lady sitting next to me. She boarded in Philly and was telling me about the u2 concert in Philly the night before. If I can’t get tickets for the u2 concert, I will happily life through someone else who has been. I would have loved to have been at that particular concert because another favorite band of mine, Interpol, opened for them instead of Florence& The Machine, who has been opening for them this tour. I wanted to sleep more but it just wasn’t in the stars, this better not happen when I go to Italy because I will definitely need to rest on that trip.

I even got to see a bit of NYC before we got into Penn Station.

While on a 20 min break, Matilda got her own seat

I should have kept her there because maybe that would have kept the people at bay. Apparently, everyone wanted to sit next to me and the girl who sat next to me at Penn Station broke the cardinal rule of being a girl with big hips : Thou shall not sit next to another girl with big hips. It was uncomfortable all the way to Boston.

The second part of the trip was pretty dead. I broke into my Clif Carrot Cake bar right after we left NYC

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this flavor. I’ve liked just about any CLIF bar flavor I’ve tried in the past but there is always the risk of making a bar out of a popular flavor and it turns out like crap. To say the bar was extremely tasty would be an understatement. It was flavorful, moist for a bar and the only thing that would have made it better was some cream cheese drizzle.

By 5pm I was in Boston, hooray I survived the Amtrak! Stephanie was gracious enough to let me crash at her place and show me her city for the weekend. We took my suitcase over to her car then made our way over to the Seaport District for much needed dinner and drinks (not in that order). The plan was to go to Temazcal, a newer upscale restaurant right on the water but there was already a wait….at 5:15. Um no. We tried to find a spot at the bar but the place was absolutely jam packed, which is definitely a sign it’s doing well. I even got to hear my first Boston accent while waiting in line to speak with the hostess. I heard some guy say “We’re just going to the bah (bar)” and I giggled to myself, I love Boston accents!

We went over to Jerry Remy’s  right next door. There was a little wait and when I say that, I mean 10/15 minutes not this hour long bull crap. We made our way straight to the bar to get some hoppy refreshments in our system and the place was a complete sausage fest-score! Not only did it have nice views of men, it also had nice views of the food. We noticed that pretty much every table had an order of nachos on it and they looked heavenly with cheese, chips, sour cream, meat galore. When we sat, we finally found out why the nacho craze at Jerry Remy’s. On their menu, they guarantee cheese on every. single. chip. I’ve never heard of something so wonderful and now questioning why we didn’t order the nachos?  I ordered the Remy Burger with a side of sweet potato fries because I needed real food stat. I’d been chowing on snacks all day so a big meal was a must plus I needed a little something something to soak up the beer.

Sweet potato fries count as a vegetable serving right? Right. Even though they weren’t orgasmic, they were good enough to down. The burger was magnificent and I ate up every single bite, Jerry Remy’s was a great spot for a low key,  dinner option after a long day of traveling.

I marveled at the skyline, well, a part of the Boston skyline on the way back. Also at the beautiful scenary, people walking around and smell of the water. I feel spoiled when I go to a new city since Charlotte’s skyline is lame and the Uptown area is pretty much a ghost town after 5pm.

And that’s all for now. I am leaving DC tomorrow morning and have way too much to take care of in the next 15 hours. Stay tuned for more Boston fun!

Do you like the process of traveling such as packing, waiting, sitting next to strangers, etc or would you rather just get there without the fuss? Some of my friends hate going to the airport and having to wait with others then sitting next to strangers but I find it oddly exciting!

When you travel, are you chatty with others around you or do you keep to yourself? I’m a chatty Cathy most of the time but occasionally like some quiet, alone time.

A good start to the week

Mondays are blah. But I had a good start to the week

*Went to Lowe’s

*Was amazed by how many hot men are there are 9am

*And how many hot men work there. Perhaps I should go to Lowe’s more often?

*Went to Dunkin to get my free Wifi on.

*Was disappointed since it wasn’t working and I just spent $1.08 on an iced coffee

*Asked the DD employee if something was wrong with the Wifi, she said “No, it’s working” and pointed over at a guy and said “See, he is on” I looked over and replied “Ummm, he isn’t even on a computer”!”

*Thought I was being punk’d and decided to leave

*Wondered if Punk’d is still on? Probably not with Ashton going to Two and a Half Men

*Thought about what my favorite Demi Moore movie is, still going with One Crazy Summer

*Went to old faithful, Starbucks, to get my free wifi on.

*Met up with a friend for lunch at Table 274, a new restaurant in Cotswold.

Like I would actually pay full price for a meal!

I’ve been curious about this place since it opened a few months ago but heard mixed reviews. I figured I would wait a couple of months to check it out so they could work out their kinks. Because they are working out their kinks and what works and what doesn’t solely for me.

I ordered the Roasted Vegetable Wrap-Roasted artichoke and tomato, sautéed mushroom, goat cheese and arugula

All of that for only $7! The wrap was tasty as is anything with goat cheese. But I was expecting it to be hmmmm….not soggy. The inside was good but a tortilla was definitely not the ideal way to hold it together. It would have been better on a pita or focaccia, something to hold it better together because it started falling apart after awhile. The sweet potato chips were a bit of a disappointment, most of them were limp and soggy. But then when sifting through them, I would find a good, fresh one in the mix.

*Visited my second Starbucks of the day. Apparently, I will pay full price for the Bucks

*Wondered what David Lee Roth is up to these days

(source)

*Didn’t bother to look, somehow I was assured that he is alive and well

*Went on a mile and a half walk with Lincoln. There were a few minutes were I didn’t think he was going to make it since he was dragging and panting in search of shade and water.

*Noshed on leftover tacos but this time added some Spicy Wholly Guacamole to them, always a welcome addition.

*Flipped through magazines and went to bed by 10pm. I don’t feel like I did that much but I was ready to crash.

Oh I left out one major thing I did on Monday:

Booked a trip to Italy!

Like you even have to guess what the question of the day is…..

Have you ever been to Italy?

Taste of Charlotte

 

Friday was a big food day thanks to Taste of Charlotte! I went last year so I was stoked to see what the lineup was this year. I made the big trip Uptown to go since I had some free food coins coming my way courtesy of Yelp. Big trip, it is not, it’s only 10 minutes away however I never go because I’m cheap and don’t want to pay for parking. And in regards to the nightlife, it’s a bit douchey and more of a college crowd which I’m not into. I took the bus in and the first stop of the day was the Starbucks in my old building. I went to this place almost every day for six years so it’s like a second home to me. But then I started to freak out, what if the baristas I know and love weren’t there? What if they didn’t recognize me? Well, neither happened since a few of them were there—it was so good to see them again! I texted a few of my ex co-workers and let them know I was downstairs. Most of them were swamped or in meetings but I got to see one!

Would you believe that’s my first picture in front of a Starbucks? Mental note, I really need to buy stock in the Bucks.

Afterwards, some members of the most recent team I was on told me I should come up to see their new area they moved to. I was up there for maybe 10 minutes when management kicked me out. I told them I wasn’t stealing customer information ( a) that’s wrong and I would never do that b) I wouldn’t last a day in prison) and I was just there to say hi but they weren’t having any of that.I was going to make a remark on how one of the guys who left came up to our old floor when I worked there and how this was sexist but I just left quietly instead.

One of my old co-workers and I grabbed our coins and started to walk around. And just like last year, it was a scorcher out. They set up Taste of Charlotte along Tryon Street, the main road that runs through Uptown, so we walked up and down checking out who was there. Of course we found the cupcake place to stop, I’ve never been to Polka Dot Bake Shop so this was the perfect opportunity to try them.

They had mini red velvet cupcakes for one coin so that was the first thing to try. I was even good and took two little bites instead of popping it in my mouth. The cream cheese frosting? Holy smokes—it was great! However two bites doesn’t have me completely sold on Polka Dots so I will have to stop by there sometime. I love justifications

It was so hot out,  I started to get a bit lightheaded and felt like I was going to faint. Hello horrible timing—it’s a food festival, it’s my happy place! I think it was a combination of the heat, dehydration and number of people crammed into one street. I sat down and got some water and was ok for a few minutes but continued to feel “off” all day. Thumbs down.

Next up was Chicken Satay from Namaste India

I just saw a huge sign reading “THAI FOOD” and I was there. I’m still a bit confused by the Indian place was serving Thai food. Hmmmm. I’m proud of myself for straying from my stand by of pad thai. I like to think I’m an adventurous person and want to try other thai dishes when I go out but I just love the pad thai so much I’m afraid I’m going to try something else out and it will pale in comparison. The satay was delicious….and this is coming from someone who doesn’t like peanut butter.

Last on the BBQ Slider from Outlaw BBQ. The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned that I didn’t even need bbq sauce—unheard of!

It was fun to try things from restaurants I’ve never been to but Taste of Charlotte was a bit of a letdown this year. It felt like there weren’t as many vendors as there were last year and that there were more chains. Also, if TOC wants to play with the big boys, they really need to expand. You’re crammed in with people near cookers and it feels like hell. I don’t like sweating while eating much less feeling sweat run down my crack.

Later that evening, I went to Vida Cantina for my friends birthday. The reservation wasn’t until 8:30 as always, I was a bit early. I am perpetually early so one can only imagine how much of a pet peeve tardiness is for me. Luckily, there were other perpetually early people I recognized enjoying a cold one. I was trying not to try all week and if I did, I was going to have liquor or wine because I really need to cut down on how much beer I’ve been drinking. But the idea of a cold beer on a Friday night sounded too enticing to pass up so there I was with my Dos Equis Amber.

We had a big table in the upstairs area which is the more private dining area. There was only enough room for our table and the other big party there so it was as crammed nor did we have a lot of food traffic like downstairs. I love Vida but there is a huge wait staff and usually a line of people there so it seems like you’re always on top of someone else.

There were a couple of rounds of tequila shots but this girl sat out thanks to…..I just don’t like tequila. Even the quality stuff. No thank you.

 

Me and the birhday girl

I loved her rings! The one on the left goes on two fingers—I’ve never seen that before.

 

We noshed on lots of baskets of chips, salsa, guacamole and queso dip. Like lots of chips, we would start going through one basket, be done, wait for another, get it, devour it, repeat. I wasn’t feeling a huge meal so I order the appetizer of mushroom flautas

Gorgeous right? They were just the portion size I was hoping for and I could only finish one of them! I took the rest to go and hope they will be semi decent leftover….who am I kidding, Mexican food leftovers are usually better than the original!

Are you a big festival person? I love festivals! It’s more the crowd that hate dealing with so if I do go to one, I want to go in the down time where there isn’t a bunch of people.

Do you have a food festival like Taste of Charlotte in your city? If not, do you have other festivals?

My body is NOT a wonderland

John Mayer can go suck it. After the food and booze fest for the past four days, my body feels like anything but a wonderland.

I love coming into town and seeing friends but unfortunately it entails going out for food and drinks. Now I love food and drinks but the past four days have done me in. I am at the point if I hear the word beer I start to feel nauseous and gag a bit. There has been no mention of vegetables or fruit and water has only been drunk in between beers. I’ve been in fried fatty food heaven and it hasn’t been worth the way I’m feeling right about now.  I even went to Ross to buy a few flowy dresses since I feel like a heffer in pants plus who wants to wear pants when it’s 90 + degrees out? I feel bloated, tired, cranky and moody as all hell and I need to have my body feeling like the semi-wonderland it once was as opposed to the garbage disposal of crap it’s been recently.

Even Lincoln is eating worse than normal. He has been getting his Polish ham on like no other dog in town.

And what the hell is up with me having more of a social life in South Florida than in Charlotte? Something is wrong with that! And let’s not even start about how I’ve met more guys in the past week than I have in the past few months in Charlotte. I can’t wait to move out of that city.

Blogger meet ups rock my world and  I met up with Natalie from Will Jog For Food. I’m so stoked she wanted to meet up! I love her blog because not only does she posts recipes, travel adventures and workouts, she has reviews of restaurants in the South Florida area. Perfect for me since I’m originally from here and want to find new places to check out while I visit the parentals. She recently posted a review of Brother Tuckers in Pompano Beach and I thought it looked like a fun place so we met up for dinner on Thursday night.

I like their menu because they didn’t have a lot of variety, which is perfect for someone like me who flip flops on what to order (she saw this first hand when I kept reaching for a menu, deciding on something different every few minutes) I finally settled on the tuna burger with a side of pasta salad.

Absolutely delicious! This place was unique, it’s a pub but it is a complete hole in the wall. I’ve been to many hole in the wall places before but this one was for real since you can either walk in from the front entrance on the street or through the back entrance. The back entrance is funky since you have to walk through the kitchen to get to the dining room. When she told me this, I thought that was a little odd but it was cool seeing the staff at work and how they cook everything. Plus it’s right there in the open with people walking through so it has to be clean right?

Natalie and I

It was so great to meet her and now know one more person in South Florida!

Its been so hot here the past week, fro yo has been on my mind constantly (and 7-11 slurpees since we don’t have 7-11 in Charlotte. Add yet another reason to the list of why I can’t wait to move) I found a fro yo place a few minutes away from my parents—16 Handles.

I tend to go with fruity, tart fro yo however, I saw something I couldn’t pass up

RED VELVET FRO YO (yes, totally deserves all caps)

I’ve been reading about red velvet fro yo for the past year and was a little sad I’ve never tried it.  This was the perfect opportunity to try it out, topped with some coconut and almonds.

Gripe-I hate when people complain about the prices at self serve fro yo places. Why don’t they just practice some self control instead of filling their entire container? I got this portion for $2 and some change and it hit the spot. Moderation, people, moderation.

Half priced frapps having been helping me either. I took a chance on once I’ve never tried-Toffee Nut frapp and it was absolutely disgusting. I will be sticking with Coconut Mocha or Caramel Light in the future.

As for getting back on track? I can’t wait for some veggies like these to make an appearance again in my life. It’s been way too long since we’ve shared some quality time.

Hope everyone had a fun weekend—tell me something exciting about me!

Anyone else sad about it being the last day of half priced fraps? I am at Starbucks enjoying my last one—coconut crème-yummay!

Greetings from Florida!

Hello everyone—hope everyone is having a great week so far!!

All I need is to insert a postcard here and I will be all set.

(source)

Sigh, I long for the days when stamps were $.37.

But for now, I will just show this gorgeous picture of sunset Sunday night (please disregard the dead flies on my windshield)

We left early on Sunday after a good nights rest. I started with my regular pre trip breakfast of Dunkin Donuts. Their egg white flatbread rocks my world and you can’t go wrong with their iced coconut coffee.

It was a gorgeous day for a drive, thank God we didn’t have any horrible weather or traffic.

I wish I had some good stories from the road but unfortunately I don’t. I just jammed out, stayed alert and watched Lincoln.

He slept through SC…..

through GA….

Woke up to help me drive in FL….

To save money, I brought some snacks for the road. I hate how much gas stations and rest stops charge for food plus you don’t find the healthiest selection of stuff. Plus when making an 11 hour drive, I wanted to fill my body with good stuff as opposed to crap.

Which I ended up getting the hummus on my pants so it looked like a funky, yellow stain near my girly bits. Good times.

Dannon Greek Yogurt-Honey. Wanna know my thoughts on this?

Save your money, it was disgusting!

I ended up stopping for linner since I wasn’t sure what was going to be on the agenda for dinner. I saw a billboard for Daytona Pig Stand BBQ and knew I had to have it.

They had a spacious patio are that was pet friendly! The server ever brought out some water for Lincoln.

I went in to order and when I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, they asked if I wanted it ON garlic toast or a regular roll. A sandwich on garlic toast?? I’ve never heard of such thing so yes, Pig Stand, I would like my sandwich on garlic toast.

It was fantastic! The pork was served without bbq sauce and you can add the original or hot bbq sauce. I wasn’t too impressed with the original but the hot bbq sauce had some heat and was tangy.

There was so much meat on there, Lincoln got to have a little treat o’ pig!

But he did not get one ounce of that mac n cheese since I was licking the bowl for the last remnants of cheese. This was a great spot to stop at and relax for a little while. Plus any place that is dog friendly gets two thumbs up in my book.

I rolled into my city and talked with my parents. They were still on the road from visiting my sister on the other coast of Florida and would be home soon. I said “Ok, I will just let myself in” thinking that they left a key for me since who wouldn’t leave a key for their daughter who had been driving 11 hours with her dog right? No. So I sat in the parking lot of Whole Foods and waited for them to get home. I was starving at that point and wanted nothing more than to go in and get some grub but I was all grody from driving all day. I swear, the second I got into FL my skin and hair were on red alert because both went from normal to greasy and frizzy.

My plans were to sleep in on Monday but it was so hot in our house, I couldn’t. I felt like Elaine on Seinfeld when she goes down to FL with Jerry and stays the night on the fold out couch and can’t sleep because it’s so hot. I almost had a freak out session because of the humidity….almost.

I woke up at 630am and was on a mission to find coffee, food and free Wi Fi. I ended up at Sequella Café in Boca after reading reviews on Yelp.

I ordered a small latte and contemplated getting breakfast but the items were pricier than I wanted to pay. Plus, when I got online, the connection was terrible slow. As much as I enjoyed the atmosphere and Beatles playing, I was ready to get out and find another spot.  When I went up to pay, I learned you had to spend at least $5 if you wanted to use your check card. I was a couple of dollar short so I got two raspberry rugaleh to go and headed out.

After that, I headed to Starbucks where I was greeted with normal prices, comfy chairs and speedy Wi Fi….and hot men! Each time I looked up, it seemed like another hot guy was walking into the place and I was diggin! Until I saw the popped collars that is. I saw two guys with popped collars within 20 minutes. Ugh.

I went to the beach for about an hour and a half around lunch time. I wanted to stay longer but I forgot how expensive parking gets there you only get 10 minutes for $.25 and I had $1.50 in quarters. Next time I go, I will go back to being 15 and have my mom drop me off and pick me up.

And the beach? Holy men in speedos Batman! And I’m not talking sex pot, Greek god body like Daniel Craig in a Speedo

(source)

I’m talking men who look like Celine Dion’s husband and are too furry to not shave (and this coming from a girl who likes fury men) Thanks everyone for your input on which one to read—I still can’t decide!! Next time I go to the beach this week, I will start on one of them!

Well, my time at Starbucks is up—I can’t wait until I can get back to using Internet access in my own home where I can get stuff done when I want. I have blogs to catch up on among others things! Til next time……

Do you pack snacks when traveling or stop off at different spots?

What’s the best beach you’ve ever been to?

Proud Tiffany

For the past week I’ve been humming or singing the line “Left a good job in the city” from Proud Mary (The Tina Turner one of course, not the CCR one. Speaking of which, whats Tina Turner been up to these days?)  I would say it’s an appropriate song to have in my head since I did have a good job in the city and as you know, I left it.  I threw deuces at corporate America and just left…..and it feels good.

My last day at work was actually a good day. I didn’t get any going away cakes or lunch from my co-workers but I did get three free drinks from Starbucks.

I had to say goodbye to my Starbucks crew since I won’t be going Uptown anymore. Pay for parking? Hell no. I will just learn to love the Starbucks crew at the one near my house. It took me awhile to get in good with the baristas at the one in my building so now I am going to have to work double time to establish report in two months. Time to bring out the witty remarks and quips!

I stopped by my hippies to say goodbye to them and collect some produce for the weekend.

But turns out they set up at different farmers markets in the area so I will get to see them again! That’s what I call winning!

I got some free samples from the Trident girls working the corner at the intersection my office is located

I came back to find a note from one of my coworkers on my whiteboard

Teardrop. I’m really going to miss my co-workers.

Then I was instantly inspired on where to go for lunch—sushi of course! I went by myself since everyone seemed to be really busy (I guess with me not having work to do, forgot what that was like?) I went to RuSan’s for their $9.99 sushi buffet. RuSan’s is questionable, so much that one of my friends calls their sushi McSushi since it all seems to be fried and all the sushi chefs are from south of the border. When I walked in, the place was bumping for lunch time and knew I made the right selection of where to go. For $9.99, I could get a couple of plates and have a sushi food baby sitting in my tummy.

And sit in my belly it did. And now in a “I think I have food poisoning” kind of way but more so in a satisfied way. It’s a great place to stop by if you’re looking for a quick fix.  I sat around the rest of the afternoon going for walks and reading at my desk. My manager was in a meeting so I couldn’t just scoot. I had to set up my voicemail and give him my badge so I wouldn’t have access to my building further. Because if I could go anywhere in the world, it would be work, not Europe.

Sigh, look at that 25-year-old girl with such hope and aspiration.

Then the fun began! And by that I mean happy hour! Well, after work drinks since happy hour in North Carolina is illegal. Instead of limiting it to a few hours in the afternoon, NC is baller and allows all day drink specials. So I say blame the government if people are drunk all day! 

I need some crackers with my cheese

I declined on the car bombs

PBR ring

 Good times had by all! I can’t believe it’s over though. I keep wondering what’s going to happen on Monday–am I going to wake up early like I always do and get ready for work until I realize that there is no work? Then when we were out last night, it dawned on me I’m employed–eeks! I haven’t been unemployed since I was 25 so this is going to be a major adjustment for me and have to brush up on my interviewing skills. It was difficult saying good-bye to people though and some even snuck out without saying bye–what’s up with that?? It’s my party and you will say good-bye when I tell you to, thank you. I started to get teary eyed when telling people how much I would miss them and how I wasn’t going to see them again at the office. Every emotion was coming out, it was ridiculous. I just hope this leap of faith I’m taking works out in my favor because even though I know this is what’s best for me right now, I go back and forth when it comes to confidence in myself. It has to work out, right?

After all those drinks last night, I’m feeling quite ripe. I got home went to bed and then woke up at 3A and been up ever since. I don’t know why I didn’t get a nap in this afternoon but I just wasn’t tired so I’m waiting to fall asleep as I’m typing.

Do you socialize with your co-workers outside of work or do you keep things professional?

How to kill time in a cubicle part deux

Another boring day with nothing to do. Thank God, it will be all over tomorrow at 4pm because there is nothing more I can do with my day.

A run down from today:

*Organized my coupons (there will be an upcoming Frugal Friday on my couponing ways!)

*Read magazines

*Touched up my nails

*Proclaimed I’m never going to indulge in a bloody margarita again after last nights festivities

I got home, passed out around 845om, woke up at 1130pm and went back to bed around 4am. Suffice to say, I felt like crap today.

*Indulged in a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte

 

I say indulge because rarely will I order a $4 drink if I don’t have a free drink coupon.

*Practically cried when I saw my Chick Fil A coupon had expired because grease was the one thing I needed in my system

But got a free bagel with cream cheese instead

*Found some websites to waste time

This one was my favorite: Dads are The Original Hipsters

*Went to the library to return a few cds

*Found out that Jon Secada is still alive and well and putting out cd’s

*Got some new cd’s

*Wondered why I went buckwild with a BOGO sale on M&M’s and Starburst at CVS

*Marveled at how great my hair looked with it’s natural curls coming out to play  without doing anything to it

*Read about  Bru’s Wiffle in Santa Monica and decided I will be there if I am in Southern Cali again.

The serve Belgian waffles but not just for breakfast dishes—they have it as the base for other dishes such as Chicken Curry Salad Waffle and a Pizza Waffle!

*Watched Shiba Inu’s live for a ridiculous amount of time. They were absolutely adorable but then I started to get concerned because do they ever go off line? When do they get to go outside and do their business? What happens when they grow up, will there be replacements like with Menudo?

*Found out Fage offers coupons online

But Athenos doesn’t since it’s a Kraft product and per their website

“During special promotions we may offer coupons in order for people to try something new at little or no cost. The brand must pay for these coupons and the number of coupons available is limited by brand marketing and promotion budgets.

We do not offer Kraft coupons upon request, but look for them in newspapers, magazines, and on product packages”

Thumbs down, Athenos, thumbs down.

*Went to Target to shop

Found a cute jacket on the clearance rack along with a pair of fun sandals since it looks like I won’t be wearing my flip flops as much as I have been.

*Had a killer lunch of leftovers

*Googled pictures of Colorado and Colorado Springs. My best friend just moved there and I think I am going to visit this summer!

(source)

 

Please tell me something excited about your day!

Special delivery

Mail rocks. I feel like I never get anything fun in the mail anymore except for Netflix once a week and a random card or package. But this past week has been full of nice surprises….

1) Starbucks free petit treat coupon

At first, I thought this was my free drink coupon and was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t. But then I got excited since I’ve been eyeing their cake pops. I’m all about having a small sweet  in the afternoon for a little pick me up.

2) Books and coupon!

I won this book through a giveaway on  Looking Up While Slimming Down.  Neyal even sent me a coupon for Chobani Champions since she knows I love the CHO and knows I love saving money even more!

3) Swanson Health Products!

I recently had the opportunity to try three Swanson Health Products.

*Hyaluronic Acid Firming Serum

As much as it pains me to say, I’m getting older and along with that comes changes in my skin. The texture of my skin has changed due to age, sun damage and other factors and I am not 100% happy with how my face looks. Every day I wake up, I see lines that never used to be there and bags under my eyes. This is not a good look for me. When I received this in the mail, I opened it up like a little kid on Christmas and tried it out immediately!  The serum is clear and not gooey like other products out there. The scent is citrusy with a hint of woodsy. I put it on the area of my face I want to firm such as my forehead, cheeks and around my eyes every morning and night. It’s very light weight and it only takes a small dab to cover the areas I wanted to get. It didn’t take long to dry after applying so it was easy to put on my night time moisturizer or makeup on afterwards. I’ve been using it for the past two weeks and can say my face feels tighter in those areas but not a 180 in firmness since I haven’ been using it too long .  I would buy this product on my own since it is very reasonably priced compared to other firming serums out there. My only gripe was that the bottle is silver so you can’t see how much you have left.

* Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

I’ve been reading about coconut oil in the blog world and wondered what the hype was about. I love coconut anything and regularly use use vegetable and extra virgin olive oil  to cook with, so I figured, why not give coconut oil a shot? But when I got the tub of coconut oil and opened it up, I had no clue what to do with it since it was in a solid form.

I did some research online and you can heat it up or you can add to smoothies, granola and many other things. Works for me!

My first experiment with it was with tofu. I breaded the tofu with plain breadcrumbs while the coconut oil was warming up. I used about to tablespoons of it since it packs some calories and fat with it

The coconut oil warmed up very quickly, so I tossed in the tofu and let it fry. Maybe it was the music I was jamming to or I wasn’t completely ravenous but it seemed to take shorter to cook than when I use vegetable oil—nothing wrong with that!

As much as I love coconut. I was a bit weary about it coming out completely coconut flavored  but the tofu came out crispy with barely a hint of coconut. 

I also used coconut oil in my smoothie to give it a little hint of coconut which brings us to the third item I received

*Nutiva Chia Seeds

CHIA SEEDS!

Yet another item that I’ve been reading about in the blog world for some time but never knew why people were so crazy about the chia seeds. From reading about them online, I wondered—did people like them because  they that tasty or that beneficial to your health?

Turns out there are many benefits to chia seeds–From What’s Cooking America:

Chia – 10 Health Benefits of This Superfood

1. Supports Heart Health
   Chia seeds can help reduce blood pressure. The seeds contain one of the highest known plant sources of essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6). EFAs cannot be synthesized by our bodies however, it is very important that we get enough to support our immune, cardiovascular, nervous and reproductive systems. EFA deficiency is quite common in North America.
2. Stabilizes Blood Sugar
   Chia seeds slow down the rate at which complex carbohydrates are digested and then assimilated into the body. The soluble fiber helps to stabilize blood glucose levels resulting in steady, sustained energy. In one study on diabetic patients, Dr. Vladamir Vuksan of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, found that blood was thinner and less prone to clotting and blood pressure of participants dropped significantly, after three months of taking Chia seeds daily.
3. Energizing
   The word “Chia” comes from the Mayan language and means strength. Chia seeds are a balanced blend of protein, carbohydrates, fats and fiber. It is said that 1 tablespoon of Chia can sustain a person for 24 hours. Athletes have reported that Chia seeds help them perform at optimal levels for much longer periods of time.
4. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
   A number of arthritis sufferers have reported reduced pain and inflammation after a few weeks of taking Chia seeds. The high concentration of omega-3 helps to lubricate joints and keep them supple. Additionally, Omega-3s are converted into prostaglandins which are known to have both pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.
5. Weight Loss
   The essential fatty acids contained in Chia seeds helps to boost metabolism and promote lean muscle mass. The seeds are sometimes added to food to provide bulk and nutrients while adding very few calories. For these reasons, many people have found Chia quite useful in weight loss and weight maintenance.
6. Detoxification and Elimination
   Similar to psyllium, the swelling action of Chia in the body helps to cleanse and soothe the colon, and absorb toxins while lubricating and strengthening peristaltic action.
7. High Quality Protein
   Chia seeds contain about 20% protein, a higher percentage than found in many other grains such as wheat and rice. Chia seeds contain strontium which helps to assimilate protein and produce high energy.
8. Antioxidants
   Chia seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants containing even more antioxidants than fresh blueberries. The high amounts of antioxidants in Chia seeds also keeps the oils from going rancid – contributing to a long shelf life.
9. Provides Fiber and Other Nutrients
   Besides EFAs, Chia seeds also provide fiber, iron, calcium, niacin, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus.
   2 tablespoons of Chia = 7 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 205 milligrams of calcium, 5 grams omega-3
10. Brain Power
    EFAs are known to make cell membranes more flexible and efficient making nutrients more readily available and nerve transmission more efficient. This helps to improve brain function (including memory and concentration).

I’ve just tried it in my smoothies but want to start adding them to my yogurt and oats. I’ve been soaking the chia seeds in water for five minutes before adding them to my smoothies to soften them up a little. I’ve enjoyed them so far, they don’t have a real taste to them and if you soak them, aren’t too seedy. But give me all those benefits in one little serving? You can be sure I will continue to use chia seeds!

That being said,I still want a Chia Pet

(source)

Thank you Swanson Health Products for sending me the three items and giving me the opportunity to try them out!

What’s something exciting you’ve gotten in the mail lately?

If you use coconut oil and chia seeds, what do you do with them? I need ideas!!

New places, smiling faces

I have water….and it’s it’s not overflowing…woo hoo! Whatever the plumber did last night worked and I got to take a long, hot shower today (after I spent a half hour cleaning it last night), could wash my hands safely and most importantly, use the toilet. I am trying to appreciate every instance where I drink water now since who knows what could happen with my plumbing again.

Needless to say, this morning was rough. I was up until midnight last night cleaning and making sure it was safe to use everything. On top of that, I kept tossing and turning in fear that a disaster would happen while I was sleeping and that I would wake up to stank but thankfully that didn’t happen.

I went to Taste this morning for breakfast. Taste is a cafeteria style restaurant with different stations for sandwiches, soups, salads, etc.  in Founders Hall, where the Bank of America corporate center is located. What makes it interesting is that instead of part or full-time employees, they have Johnson & Wales students there making everything so they can get experience plus earn credits in the meanwhile. I’ve heard mixed things about it but heard they have a wide selection of breakfast items so I wanted to see what it was all about.

I went to the omelet bar and they had an omelet of the day for only $3.69—eggs, feta cheese, red peppers and feta.

Now that’s a deal I can be down with. However, right as she was almost done making it, I saw they had egg white omelets available. Always a next time for that though! It was such a clean and modern setting, I was quite impressed. They also make breakfast sandwiches and you can build you own plus they have oatmeal with a variety of mix ins. Seeing it was the day before Christmas Eve, there was only one other customer in there so I was in and out within minutes.

After that I stopped by Starbucks and my favorite barista looked at me and told me I looked tired. Thanks man. Not only do I know about the bags under my eyes, I now have people acknowledging them and letting me know that. Which when someone says that, it really means you look like crap. Meh. He asked what was wrong and I didn’t want to get into the whole drama of Toilet Gate ’10 and just told him I was having a not-so-great day. He told me to wait there and brought me this little gem

Free drink at Starbucks? Don’t mind if I do. The last time he gave me one of these puppies, I was crying in line while waiting to order b/c I was having a bad work day. Perhaps I should milk this more??! I won’t but I just love my baristas. It’s so nice walking in and they know me by name and I feel like they are my java buddies.

I tried yet another new place for lunch–Room 112. Which any time I see a sign for this place, I automatically get “Peaches & Cream” in my head–I can’t be the only one right? They are an Asian fusion restaurant and offer asian dishes and sushi lunch specials. I went with the sole purpose of sushi on my mind but when I spoke with my dad last night, he told me we would be going for sushi on Friday night.

A) I love the fact that my dad is addicted to the “sush” as he so affectionately calls it

B) Why pay for sushi when I can get it for free?

My friend and I were perusing their menu and we both decided on the same thing–sesame chicken. She switched up to sesame shrimp at the last-minute but I went through with my order.They give you a generous serving of chicken, a few pieces of freshly steamed broccoli and a spring roll. over brown rice, only $6.95! The chicken was fantastic but the breading was a little thick for my liking. I tried a piece of my friends shrimp and it was a perfect, light batter.

 We were in and out in less than an hour and I loved the modern look to it. I guess all the new places are going modern?  I dig it!

This afternoon came and went, made some phone calls, left a lot of voicemail (since I’m sure people don’t want to answer the phone from the bank around the holiday time) and working December 23rd is just lame. I kept looking outside to see all of these happy people who didn’t have to work, walking around and enjoying the day. It kinda sucked. I made a second Starbucks run of the day. While waiting in line, my co-worker mentioned the peppermint brownie and he asked if I’ve ever had it. I just sat there, mouth agape and when I finally could form a sentence I yelled out “It’s a peppermint chocolate party in your mouth, let’s go splitsies!” and that we did. He bought it but when we got back to the office, he wasn’t hungry for it anymore. Um, I could be at a Chinese buffet for three hours and be in unbuttoned pants status and I would still be in the mood for a brownie. Especially a peppermint brownie……

Beautiful, delicious, rich, moist brownie. It was heavenly.

By the time I got home, I was ready to sit and do nothing. But one of my best friends was coming into town for the wknd since her in-laws live here and we had plans to get together tonight. She lives in the DC area and told me that leaving DC, they only moves 70 miles within 3.5 hours—eek!! They had planned on getting into town around 6 or 7P and I was going to go over there, hang out and watch the Steelers game so I had to shower, get something to eat, etc. But that didn’t happen due to them hitting traffifc, getting in late and both of us were pretty mood.  With last nights shenanigans and a long day that dragged on today, I was beat. I needed something quick for dinner but didn’t want to dry my hair, go out somewhere to find something quick to eat then come back home. Plus I didn’t know what I was in the mood for–I hate that.

And one more time, pizza saves the day!

Dare I say—this was best frozen pizza I’ve  had!!! The goat cheese was the superstar of this show, it was creamy with the perfect tangy, salty taste. I loved it. I had to stop myself from eating the entire thing so I would have some for breakfast before I go to the airport tomorrow. If you haven’t tried this pizza–do me a favor and go out, buy it and try it. You won’t be disappointed!

And now, I need to tackle the little packing I have to do before leaving tomorrow morning. Lincoln is also being very lovey tonight, he definitely knows somethings up and he won’t be spending Xmas with his momma.

What has two thumbs and can barely keep her eyes open?? This Girl!

Be sure to keep an eye out for Frugal Friday tomorrow!

Pho My Homies

Happy Election Day! Hope you all got out there and voted today. I sure am happy to see the annoying campaign commercials peace out for two more years, they were seriously starting to drive me crazy. Of course my co-workers and I were discussing the election today and it’s sad how many people go off of those ads alone and really don’t look into what the politicians stand for. None of the people I work with thankfully but they were telling me about some of their friends who just go off those alone. Sigh. Maybe some day people will learn. On a separate note, the cookies made me super popular! Until one of the guys bit into one, started chewing then asked me if it had nuts. Um, if you’re allergic to nuts, I would think you would ask first yes? I told him I will make some nut free goodies soon and then my reign will continue!

I was craving something carby and hot for dinner last night. I thought about my old standby of nachos or quesadillas but didn’t have any salsa on hand. This may have been a first since I normally have a surplus in my cupboards so I will have to jump on that soon. I was in a meeting and starting thinking about the ingredients I had on hand. I knew I had parsley, frozen peas, cheese and grilled chicken I cooked on Sunday and remembered a recipe for Pea and Parsley Pesto that I saw in a recent issue of Martha Stewart Food. Instead of mixing extra virgin olive oil and adding walnuts, I pulsed the parsley and peas together then put in a saucepan with garlic, pepper and fontina cheese with grated parmesan. I let them cook at a very low temperature while I also cooked mushrooms and onions on the stovetop.

Look how green-yummy! I like the flavor but it could’ve used some more punch. Since I was a green, carby heaven after that, I sat on the couch in my fleece pj pants (because really, that’s all I wear in the winter) and felt like I was going to nap. That’s just not acceptable at 730P. I let the food digest for a little more than went for a short run/walk. I was still achey from my strength training sesh on Sunday but I figure little activity better than no activity yes?

Speaking of TV, I was on the news this morning! I went to vote super early so I wouldn’t have the wait in line since I lack a little thing called patience. I was in and out within 5 minutes and when I walked out there was a tv camera and reporter standing outside where she said “Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your thoughts on the election?” Wanting to be discovered I naturally said yes and pointed at her saying “Hey, you’re Kara Lusk” and she looked really happy that I recognized her so good deed of the day was crossed off way early in the day. She asked me a few questions about my thoughts on the mid-term election, said my makeup was beautiful and thanked me for my time. I had to go back home right after to take Lincoln out before I went to work but when I was waiting in line at Starbucks, I saw a former co-workers from my old floor. She pointed and me and said “Superstar!!!” and told me she said me on the news. The first question out of my mouth was not “Did I seem articulate or nervous?” but “How did I look?” She too confirmed my beauty so awwwww yeah. I am still trying to find this video online and can’t so it’s a bit frustrating. You would think with that and from the USA Today article I was in a couple of years ago (hmmm, don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned that on here?), I would be famous by now but no dice. On another note, I have this song in my head.

One of these days…..

Nothing really too interesting happened at work today. Just doing the training thing still and that’s about it. I fit in a 1.5 mile walk on my lunch break since I had a feeling I would be chowing down tonight.

One of my girlfriends and I had plans for dinner tonight and we checked out a quaint, new restaurant called Vietnam Grille. It’s only a few miles away from me but in a neighborhood that borders hood but I’ve read rave reviews about it and was ready to see what the hype was about. I’ve never had Vietnamese food before but love anything Asian and my friend said it best when she said “I think I was Asian in a former life” since I feel the same way. I kept jumping in between pho (since I hear that’s one thing you must try when you get Vietnamese) and the Bun I ended up with the Grilled Beef Bun (rice vermicelli noodles with bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, cucumber and crushed peanuts with their Nuoc Mam sauce) because I needed something with substance since lunch wasn’t too satisfying (leftovers are just meh sometimes).

I had the intention of eating half then take the rest home but was starving that I cleaned the plate. I absolutely loved it!! It was so light and flavorful with all the sauces they provided table side. When it came out, the smell somewhat reminded me of pad thai because of the peanuts. One of the tables near us had the make your own spring roll sampler and that looked fun with a huge platter of goodies to fill them with so I may need to try that since there will be a next time soon. If I ever open a Vietnamese restaurant (because the likelihood of that is very strong), I shall call it “Pho My Homies”

Red cups are back! But with a different look. I don’t like them.

Seeing this picture just confirms I watch too much of “The Office” since I often see Michael and Dwight in the background of my pictures. But screw it, it’s Tuesday night which means hours and hours of it on TBS!

PS—Check out Amy’s giveaway for some calcium loving action!! She also has some great suggestions for workout songs that I’ve been adding to my iTunes wishlist. Amy–I apologize for my atrocious spelling in my song suggestions comment. My blackberry was not all about the spell check love this morning

And another giveaway–yay! Check out Mo’s giveaway for the new Michael Chiarello cookbook plus some panko lemon pepper breadcrumbs!!