Healthy and Sane

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Miracle muffins + V8 soup giveaway winner

October 30th, 2009 · 24 Comments · Boston, Eating out, Ellie Krieger, baking, beef, breakfast, salad, sandwich, snacks

On Wednesday night, I baked the CEiMB recipe of the week: pumpkin pie muffins. I had a little bite to make sure they were edible and quickly put the rest away because I knew I could eat the whole 6 muffins right then and there! Then I set out to do something crazy ambitious – wake up extra early for a morning workout. Whoa – that’s just whack ;) My alarm went off bright and early the next morning. I almost turned it off, but then I remembered – I can have 1/2 muffin for a pre-workout snack! I was lying in bed, contemplating what to do, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the muffins!! So I crawled out of bed, grabbed 1/2 of a muffin and proceeded to get ready for the strength class. I made it to the class on time! Thank you, miracle muffins, for getting me out of bed :lol:

The strength class was just ok, but honestly I couldn’t handle something more intense early in the morning (yeah, I am slooooow before my morning coffee and some down time) so it was the right pace for that hour in the day. I will say that it was pretty fantastic to be done (and showered) by 8:30! I actually made it to work a little earlier than I usually do. Kind of ironic. Back to the miracle muffins…

BREAKFAST

1 pumpkin spice muffin, 1 small plain oikos with 1/2 banana + coffee

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Of course the muffin was the star of breakfast.  It was so light and moist! Ellie’s baked good recipes are my favorite (I find the savory ones to be a hit or miss) and this one definitely goes on my “to be made again” list. I halved the recipe (now totally regret it…), used powdered buttermilk and added walnuts to the batter. I thought the walnuts were a really amazing addition. They add a nice texture, some healthy fats and of course great taste. Mmm, nuts… and MUFFINS!! Ok, now I sound crazy….

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Thank you, Oddball Oven Mitt, for picking this recipe for us to make!! :D

LUNCH

Salad: mixed greens, grilled chicken, grapes, walnuts, dried blueberries, cranberries and raisins + goat cheese and strawberry balsamic vinegar

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Yum!

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+last piece of the chocolate bread with Barney Butter

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SNACKS

Baby carrots and sugar snap peas

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I really love this combo (note the Halloween colors!). The sugar snap peas remind me of my wedding day. We had a bunch of them in the house and I didn’t want them to go to waste (we were going on our honeymoon the day after the wedding) so I brought them to the hotel to snack on while we were getting ready. My make up and hair people were so confused. Is she always this healthy? Haha

No, I’m not always this healthy… my second snack was a Dancing Deer Baking Co caramel pecan brownie. I still think these may be the best brownies I’ve ever had. Dancing Deer is a local company and they sell these brownies in my local supermarket, in packages of 4! Yeah, can you say dangerous? :)

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After work I also had 2 glasses of Cabernet at Brownstone. No pics, I had half of my company there. The wine could have something to do with the reason I thought my dinner was beyond incredible… but probably not ;)

DINNER

B.good cousin Oliver beef burger with the optional secret sauce, no onion

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There were large slices of tomato and lots of pickles (I love pickles!!!!) and the secret sauce was amazing – again I think it had lots of pickles and maybe capers. I slathered it on :)

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I think I need to become a spokesperson for b.good because every time I have one of their burgers (and usually salads) I can’t stop raving about them. I always know I like the place, yet for some reason I’m blown away by the food – every time! I’ve also been trying to be adventurous and try to get a different kind of burger every time I’m there. This was my first time trying the cousin Oliver and I am definitely a fan. Maybe I’ll do a post one day, listing every burger by my order of preference. I think the adopted Luke is the only one I haven’t tried yet… and I’ve never tried their veggie burgers. I’m afraid they have onions :(

And that’s my day. Try those muffins… and b.good if you live in the Boston area!!! :grin:

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The winner of the V8 soup giveaway is commenter #9! Congratulations!! Please email me your address to elina@healthyandsane.com

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Sorry, last thing – are any of you Bostonians going to the Vegetarian Food Festival? I think I’m going to check it out on Sunday!

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Cafeteria Boston – restaurant review

October 29th, 2009 · 10 Comments · Boston, Eating out, restaurant reviews

I was eating a tuna wrap for lunch yesterday and all of a sudden realized that I never posted a restaurant review from last Friday’s dinner at Cafeteria. How did that happen?! Oops. I better do it now before this Friday and another outing creeps up on us :) So let’s get to it!

Last Friday my husband and I wanted to stay in the ‘hood and also use one of our Groupons (side note: Groupon is a great way to discover new places at a fraction of the cost. I always look forward to their daily emails with new deals :) ). Cafeteria Boston seemed like the perfect place! We had a $40 certificate (that we paid $20 for) and prices seemed reasonable enough that it could go a long way.

I was in a really indecisive mood with the menu. I knew I wanted dessert and a glass of wine, but what should I get for my meal? The menu seemed to overwhelm me. Do I want an appetizer of mussels and a simple salad? A burger with fries? A flatbread pizza? So many choices! The waitress was very helpful and eager to offer recommendations. I decided to go with a tuna burger (as per her suggestion) with a side of mixed greens. But first – a glass of wine was very much necessary!

The Crusher cabernet sauvignon was their special wine of the night, and we decided to get a bottle of it.

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It was a nice well balanced wine so Adam decided to look it up on his iphone. He’s such a romantic! :lol: That’s really a joke. I was also curious to see other people’s reviews and the bottle’s retail price. We paid $40 at Cafeteria. Apparently you can get it online for $11.99. Um, that’s quite the mark up, Cafeteria people!!!! :evil: The good news is that we did enjoy this bottle, so we actually may buy it sometime to have in the house, since it is pretty affordable :)

The bread basket had some nice chewy bread. I only had a bite. Adam had no problem finishing the rest :D

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After a little while, our food came. As mentioned, I ordered the tuna burger with pickled cabbage, spicy mayo and avocado, on a griddled bun, with a side salad instead of fries, dressing and mayo on the side and no butter on the bun.

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As you can probably tell even from this picture, the bun was buttered. I asked for a dry one and the waitress quickly brought another one. It was gigantic so I also scooped out the inside. It was quite a mess, but I got what I wanted at the end :D With all that bread, I probably wouldn’t have been able to taste the actual burger!

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The burger honestly was nothing special. I think the tuna was fresh but it was maybe tiny bit overcooked. The pickled cabbage was the best part, but there wasn’t enough of it to really taste it. I tried a little bit of the chipotle mayo to see if it would make the burger a little more exciting, but it wasn’t doing much so I deemed it a waste of calories and proceeded to eat the burger without it. I ate 3/4 and left room for dessert (who am I kidding, that’s usually the most important part of the meal for me anyway! :D ) Btw, the mixed greens were quite nice.

Molten chocolate cake with a ganache center, fresh berries and vanilla gelato

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Finally enough ice cream to go with the cake! Don’t you hate when you get a teeny tiny scoop of ice cream with your warm chocolate cake? Unfortunately, besides a decent portion, this was just okay. They definitely overcooked the cake so there was no gooey center, just a dense cake. The flavor was not bad, but I wanted a molten chocolate cake! I was not impressed.

This was actually my second time at Cafeteria (last time I had a tasteless salad… about a year ago). Overall, the service was good (our waitress was very attentive), the location is great (right in the heart of Newbury st!), the prices are reasonable but the food is just average. The only way we’ll be back there if it’s really nice out and we want to take advantage of the restaurant’s outdoor seating on a hot summer day – a scenario where food may be secondary.

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Check out my other restaurant reviews on the Restaurant Reviews page. :D

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Project complete!

October 28th, 2009 · 13 Comments · Indian, breakfast, chicken, oats, sandwich, tuna (canned)

I finished my project today!! I had five this month, and this was my last one. I gave it to my boss, who I’m sure is going to have comments on it, but it doesn’t matter… I can breathe! I left work at 5:4opm today. Amazing!! Needless to say, I’m in fantastic mood, and can’t wait to plan our upcoming vacation. Thank you all again for all the restaurant suggestions! A few of you mentioned the same places, which probably means they are really not to be missed. I can’t wait!!! :mrgreen:

BREAKFAST

I kept my eats as clean as possible today. I felt I needed to detox a bit. Banana oats with unsweetened dried cherries, turkish apricots, flax and almond slivers. Simple and delicious :)

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LUNCH

Tuna/hummus/pickle wrap + baby carrots. If you haven’t tried adding hummus to your tuna yet, you’re missing out. It really makes everything nice and creamy (I used 2T for a can of tuna and with these proportions you don’t actually taste the hummus) – no mayo necessary, and you get some healthy fats :)

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SNACKS

Clearly, I’m obsessed!

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This is what 100 calories of nuts looks like, if you’re curious ;)

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See the little packets of ketchup in the right top corner? I thought they were so cute so I had to take a picture (this is at work)!! I’m such a dork :lol: What’s not cute is the high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients list. We only buy organic Heinz ketchup for the house (same taste, no junk!).

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DINNER

Organic chicken and green beans in TJ’s masala simmering sauce + brown rice

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This was a quick and easy dinner, but nothing special. We missed the creaminess of the chicken tikka masala you get at restaurants (which unfortunately is full of full fat yogurt and cream).

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I baked some pumpkin pie muffins for breakfast tomorrow. I may have to get a little taste test while they’re still warm from the oven ;)

Oh for workout today, I took a crazy abs and spin classes. Lately my workouts have been extra intense. Not sure if it’s me or the instructors :)   Off to get ready for tomorrow. I’m actually going to attempt to get up early for an pre-work workout. We’ll see how that goes :???:

The winner of the V8 soup giveaway will be announced tomorrow night.

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A break is right around the corner

October 27th, 2009 · 31 Comments · dessert, pizza, random favorites, sandwich, snacks, turkey

Adam and I booked an impromptu mini-vacation last night! Tomorrow I really hope to finish the report I’ve been working on (the last for this month… of course I have more stuff next month) and I feel burnt out! These long days have been killing me but I hope they are behind me (at least in the short term). I found out that I get Veteran’s Day off at work, which is on a Wednesday this year, so I’m taking Monday and Tuesday vacation and we’re going to Texas!!! Oh, did I mention we’re going next Friday?!! I am overdue for a vacation – this is beyond exciting!!!!

Ok, so here is where I need your help. We chose to go to Austin and San Antonio because we’ve never been and it’s going to be warm (and it’s relatively cheap). The problem is – we know nothing about these 2 cities!! What are you supposed to do there? Are there any amazing restaurants that just can’t be missed? I already know we’re going to the largest Whole Foods in the country – that, in my view, cannot be missed! ;) Help! :mrgreen:

Thank you all for your comments on my previous post about making exercise a priority. I woke up this morning with a food hangover and just wanted to stay in my pj’s and eat all day. The food hangover/stomachache continued through the morning, and I almost skipped the gym and went to the Paradise Bakery instead :evil: Do you ever get in this kind of rut when you skip a workout and eat too much, and all of a sudden that’s all that you want to keep doing? This happens to me, and it’s not because I like it – the opposite actually. I feel gross and I guess I feel continuing this seems appropriate. So I almost chose to continue the mad cycle. Instead I remembered my own words (and your comments) and made sure to make it on time to a crazy hardcore abs + bootcamp class. Ask, Coco, we were both dying in the class… in a good way ;) I loved every minute of it and was just glowing for the rest of the afternoon! I love you, exercise!! :D

BREAKFAST

Banana oats with raisins and trail mix (cranberries, white choc chips, almonds and pecans)

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MID-MORNING SNACK

100 calorie pack of almonds and walnuts

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This is my new find. It’s really perfect for me because um, apparently someone (hint: me :lol: ) has been eating more than 100 calories’ worth of nuts lately. Yeah, portion control is good! :D

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LUNCH

Turkey, avocado and fresh mozzarella on whole wheat toast + snap peas and grapes. Yum! :)

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SNACKS

A low fat rocky road cookie I received in a package today from 24carrot. Thank you!!!

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This cookie is GIANT… I really can’t believe it’s only 170 calories. No really, I think they are lying on that nutritional label!

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The cookie got damaged in the mail and was very crumbly, but the crumbles were SO good! It was like a brownie (yes, a healthy brownie but a yummy one) with lots of nuts and mini marshmallows. I loved the nuts. I’d buy this cookie for sure if I could trust those nutritionals. 24carrot sent me 3 other cookies, all the same size and from the same company (I think), and 2 of them said they were 2 servings and 2 said they were 1 serving – and all were roughly the same amount of calories/serving. Hmm. If it is indeed only 170 cals, this is possibly my new favorite healthy dessert! :grin: Edited to add: I looked at the other 2 cookies and they’re full fat, which would explain the discrepancy. I think I need to invest in a box of these babies :mrgreen:

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Another new find – Smart Food chocolate cookie caramel pecan popcorn clusters

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These were quite delicious. If you love sweet popcorn, you will love these… and the ingredients are 100% natural. Excellent. I’d still pick a baked good (or the above cookie) for a snack any day, but this is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without consuming a lot of calories (this bag was 130).

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DINNER

I left early today (6:45 pm!) which meant I could make dinner at home! Whoa, that’s a new concept these days. This Mediterranean inspired wrap pizza ended up being the highlight of today’s eats (except for the cookie… that was good too… ok, a tie it is)! This is a whole wheat tortilla with 2T sabra hummus, lite shredded cheese, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and zaatar. All ingredients except for zaatar are from TJ’s. Toast the wrap for a bit before adding the toppings, then toast the rest until it’s at your preferred level of crispiness. Voila!

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Made me and my belly beyond happy :D

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Perfectly crispy… and disappearing fast ;)

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Great eats today! :D Oh I just remembered, I’m going on vacation… I’m going on vacation!!!! If you’ve been or live in Austin or San Antonio, don’t be shy, comment here and share with us the cities’ gems! :cool:

V8 soup giveaway here.

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Making exercise a priority during a busy week

October 27th, 2009 · 17 Comments · breakfast, dessert, salad, snacks

I know, I know, I’ve been complaining about long hours at work for what seems like ages, but that’s the reality of my life these days. Yesterday was another 12 hour day, and there are a few more of those in my future. I’m hoping to be done with this project by tomorrow. Fingers crossed.  My old habits of reaching for food in time of stress are coming back. I just don’t have time to deal with them right now, but what I have made sure is to make exercise a priority even during a busy work week (month?). Exercise clears my head, it keeps me energized, it keeps me healthy, and what I learned is that the work will still be there when I come back and that hour away from the office is an hour well spent! I even tried a few new classes at the gym! Here is last week:

I was having so much fun with my workouts, I actually realized only on Sunday night that I worked out 8 days in a row (although there were a few easier workout days there like Tuesday and Thursday). I decided to take a rest day yesterday (Monday), which definitely made for a longer day in the office and extra munching. I need to get my sweat on during the day, or else I’m just not myself. It’s important to keep reminding myself this, otherwise it’s too easy to fall into the “I’m too busy” trap.

Here are yesterday’s eats. There were also nuts, frozen yogurt, and cider donuts consumed late at night. :oops:

BREAKFAST

2 frozen waffles with Barney Butter and 1/2 banana

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MID-MORNING SNACK

An asian pear from a co-worker’s yard. How cute is this guy?! :)

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LUNCH

Mixed greens, grape tomatoes, mom’s roasted red peppers, grilled chicken and mushrooms.

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SNACKS

Dancing Deer Baking Co caramel pecan brownie with tea

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Best brownie EVER! Fudgy and soft… mmmmmmmm ;)

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This made me smile :grin:

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2 Rivita crackers with light laughing cow cheese and grapes

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DINNER

Tangy stir fried vegetables with tofu that I made here and froze the leftovers for a night like last night. Before: frozen solid…

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After: yummy homemade Asian meal :)

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Dessert: Kellogg’s sweet & salty granola bar

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Lots of junk ingredients in this guy but it was in my desk drawer and I needed more food. Despite an atrocious ingredients list, this was quite yummy :D

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Like I said, more unphotographed food was consumed later in the night but that’s life. Do you make exercise a priority during a busy week, or choose to spend that time getting your work done?

2 more days to enter the V8 soup giveaway!

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