FYI

Just so you know...

 

This product:

 

 

...is delicious. It tastes like a delightful piña colada.

 

However, the color is a little bit...how shall I say...off-putting.

 

 

If you can manage to drink this without thinking about urine samples, then I highly recommend it!

 

How was everyone's weekend?

 

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The Zone of All Probability

Have you ever had one of those days that is so horrible --- just one bad thing after another --- that you arrive at a point when you think that nothing worse could possibly happen?  And then something worse happens?

Have you ever felt your tether to your own tragic reality break at that point, not in the sense of having a nervous breakdown or anything, but such that you no longer feel any sadness, fear, anxiety, or any other negative emotion, neither at the wreckage of the day already laid waste in front of you nor the possibility of yet another bad thing improbably finding its way into your universe?  You go from panicked and depressed to completely calm in a blink.

I have days like that periodically, and I had one of them yesterday. I felt that little "snip" in my brain when my thoughts go from "ACK THIS IS A TERRIBLE DAY" to "Of course this other terrible thing has happened, how entertaining."

Every time that happens to me, I think about this passage from A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which just so perfectly captures that feeling:

I pull up to a light, next to a bunch of young black kids.* Maybe they’ll shoot me. I’m in the zone of all probability. I cannot be surprised. Earthquakes, locusts, poison rain would not impress me. Visits from God, unicorns, bat-people with torches and scepters–it’s all plausible. If these kids happen to be bad kids, and have guns, and want to shoot people like me, it will be me, the glass will break and the bullet will come through and I will not be surprised. With the bullet in my head, I will drive my car into a tree, and as I am waiting to be pulled from the wreck, nearly dead, I will not panic or yell. I will think only: Weird, this is exactly what I expected.

Here's to a new day.


*  ETA, in response comments expressing alarm at this passage: To be clear, this passage is a piece of literature.  In the context of the book, the passage is discussing completely crazy and improbable things happening.  As the author describes it, the likelihood of kids shooting him in the head just because they are black is crazy and improbable, and in the broader context of the book is not a statement on race (i.e., it is not a commentary that young black kids shoot white people), but is rather sort of a tongue-in-cheek jab at perceptions of race.  I encourage you to read more about the book, the author (who does an impressive amount of work with youth in under-served communities), or to read the book itself (not an affiliate link).  It is a fantastic piece of storytelling and one of my favorite books.  If you're upset (or not upset) by the passage, I encourage you to discuss it in the comments.  Hopefully folks who have actually read the book will chime in as well on either side of that spectrum.

A few nice things to start your Monday

1. Check out this cute little fox cookie jar I found at Target!

 

 

2. I went on a hike this weekend! We went to Bull Run, which is about an hour outside of DC in a town called Haymarket, Virginia. The hike was about two hours total, so not too long, but long enough to work up a good appetite for brunch!

 

Hiking OOTD. I am such a newb. Also I was wearing Kate Spade earrings because see also, newb.

 

3. My second round of foster kittens were adopted this weekend! They were pretty much the perfect cats and I was so sad to see them go...

 

KITTY SPOON, PEOPLE.

 

4. A woman at BJ's Wholesale Club almost beaned me in the head with a 20-pack of ramen noodles! My crime? I nicely asked the lady behind me to allow me to put my purchases on the conveyer belt before she did, a request that seemed necessary since she bypassed me and started loading up her own stuff on all available space. Drama be following me around lately, apparently.

 

How was your weekend?

 

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Let's talk about fitness.

Alright, guys.  I have fallen off the fitness bandwagon.  My pants are tight and I am at a weight where I refuse to buy new ones because I am not going to settle in here.

Source.

I have found that my fitness preferences tend to swing around pretty drastically every six months to a year, and the things that I used to love doing no longer motivate me the same way.  I'm not going to Crossfit as regularly as I used to, and I am biking less since the weather became frigid (and since I bought a car).  I still will sometimes go for a run, but the shorter days leave me less time to do this in the daylight, when I prefer to be out.

My firm recently announced that it would give all associates $195 towards a monthly gym membership.  I could use this money for a 9 class per month Crossfit membership ($165 --- I KNOW), or I could use it to join an actual gym with a variety of (sadly, non-Crossfit) classes.  I'm leaning towards the latter for now, since I'm feeling like a need some variety in my life.  Plus, since I seem to enjoy driving around, I could drive to the gym to get my sweat on.

So help me out here:

1. What do you guys do for exercise in the winter?  
2. Do you belong to a gym?  If so, what do you think are the most important things I should be considering in deciding which gym to go to.
3. If you live in DC, are there any gyms/studios that I absolutely must check out before I sign paperwork somewhere?  Where is the best place for me to spend my $195/mo?

Go-To Recipe: Ropa Vieja

I think it's important for everyone to have a small collection of recipes that are easy to make, impossible to mess up, delicious, and healthy. These are your go-to recipes when you need to put together a last minute dinner for someone, when you want to make food for yourself for the week, when you are stumped on what to cook but want something delicious anyway.

 

This ropa vieja recipe is my #1 go-to. Amazingly, the recipe initially came from Weight Watchers, even though NOTHING about this delicious stewed meat tastes like diet food.

 

^ Slightly too much liquid in my version above, but you get the idea.

 

It's amazing over rice, cauliflower rice, roasted squash, potatoes...pretty much any starch you can think of will complement this tender, juicy, flavorful dish.

 

Plus, you can easily put it together in the slow cooker (you don't even have to brown the flank steak) and let it cook all day, or throw it inside a pressure cooker (which you should all have by now, RIGHT??) and let it go for about 75-90 minutes.

 

It hasn't let me down once, and I can't believe I haven't blogged about it by now!

 

What are your easy, go-to recipes?

 

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Battling The Blahs

Hey everyone.  Sorry I've been MIA...I've been battling a serious case of the blahs.  I will return with outfit posts soon, but in the meantime, here are two of my favorite places to go to battle mild bouts of non-clinical depression:

Crossfit (or Exercise Generally)

One of my worst qualities as a human being is the fact that it is extremely easy for me to slip into complete physical inactivity.  I don't know how it happens; I will go from working out 3-5 times a week to ZERO for WEEKS.  However, I've noticed in the last few months that going more than two days without physical activity has a very dark effect on my mood.  It's wonderful to recognize this, as it's helped me both to keep a regular exercise schedule and to recognize the biological factors (i.e., lack of endorphins) that could be impacting my mood.  I like Crossfit, but I also try to bike or run if I don't feel like attending an exercise class.

Washington Humane Society

(image source)

There's something comforting about hanging out with animals, especially when you have zero responsibility for cleaning up after them and just get to participate in the fun stuff, like cuddles and ear scratches.  I found myself at the Washington Humane Society's Northeast DC outpost one day just to look at the animals (this location is convenient running distance from my house), and to my delight I discovered not only a very friendly staff that is happy to have you hang out with the pets even if you are not adopting (and will not judge you if you sit on the floor for an hour with two kittens falling asleep in your lap), but there is also a room in the shelter called "Kitty City" (pictured above) that is basically just a room full of cats.  You can walk into the room and just pet whatever cat comes up to you looking to be pet.  It is an amazing mood-booster.  (If you don't have a humane society near you but still want to help the pets, why not buy something for the Humane Society next time you are on Amazon?  Our DC humane society has an Amazon wish list, and your local one probably does, too.  I threw a $4 set of newborn kitten bottles in with my last order of poker chips.)


How do you like to fight the blues?  Where are your happy places?

More Food Shaming

This is the entirety of my Trader Joe's shopping list for today and I feel no remorse.

 

 

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Witness my Food Shame

This soup is called "Cheeseburger Cheeseburger." Two cheeseburgers.

 

It consists of: a thick cheese base; small chunks of ground meat; small slices of onion.

And that's it. It's like eating macaroni and cheese, but without the macaroni and with small Progresso soup-sized globules of probably-beef.

 

The guys at Devon and Blakely actually laughed at me when I ordered it for lunch yesterday. Which, for the record, I don't do often but sometimes it just feels so wrong that it's right.

 

While we're on the subject, I also microwaved leftover weekend pancakes in the work break room this week. On three separate occasions.

 

I'm sorry, but only because I know I should be.

 

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A Super-Obnoxious Post About Coconut Water

But first, a joke courtesy of my friend Tony:

Q:  How can you tell if someone does Crossfit?
A:  Don't worry.  They'll tell you.

See also.

Soooooo, I've been doing a little Crossfit.  I mostly like it; it's a good workout and the coaches/fellow classmates I work with are pretty great.  I do find some/many aspects of the culture to be a little too much.

I mean, geez.  This is totally obnoxious.  (source)

My biggest dislike of the whole crossfit thing is that, even at gyms that say they are not trying to impose higher values on you, you generally do feel like non-caveman/paleo choices are seen as bad with little to no room for argument.  That's not to say that caveman/paleo choices are bad either, just to say that we're all trying to be healthy and eat well and it seems kind of counterproductive to say that the only good form of exercise is Crossfit and the only good form of eating is Paleo.  But whatever, I'm just there to get my sweat on.

Anyway, given this, I was initially very skeptical when I overheard one of my WOD class members raving about an obscure brand of coconut water that was just "Sooooo good" and "Makes Vitacoco taste like crap"

(From The Anti-Jared.  I do not share this view.)

I enjoy coconut water.  I drink it after particularly difficult runs or crossfit classes as a way to get some potassium (good for muscle recovery) and hydration without imbibing fluorescent sports beverages.  I don't have any problem with Vitacoco and think it tastes pretty good, so naturally I assumed this guy was just being kind of snooty.  My assumption was strengthened when he said that his mom had to ship him the stuff from Puerto Rico because he couldn't find it in any stores around here.  ::eyeroll::

Taste Nirvana Real Coconut Water, 16.2 Ounces (12-pack available here*)

Let me apologize to this guy right now for my unfair thoughts, because I found a can of this coconut water in a grocery store on Monday, tried it, and HOLY SHIT you guys, this is like no coconut water I've ever had before.  The taste is rich, almost creamy, and it's only 100 calories for an enormous can.

I will never drink another brand of coconut water again...the difference in taste is truly astounding.  As the guy at the gym said, it's almost like a completely different product than the more popular brands.

If you dislike coconut water, I highly encourage you to give this brand a try and see if it doesn't change your mind.  If you already like coconut water, you should just go ahead and order a twelve pack* because heavens to Betsy, this stuff is fantastic.


*  Affiliate links because why not, but SERIOUSLY this stuff is amazing.  I would be posting about this regardless of whether it was available on Amazon or not.  If you want a non-affiliate link, click here.  This coconut water should be in your life whether I get 40 cents or not.

OOTD: Getting Back into the Swing

In this Outfit:

Top by Pleione from Nordstrom Rack (M)

Anthropologie Sunblaze Skirt (by Yoana Baraschi -- she called it the "Tattoo Skirt" and I've seen it floating around in both black and white) (6)

Necklace from Target

Coach Pave Ball Earrings

Kate Spade Bangle Watch (here in white)

Michael Kors Large Charm Tassel Ring Tote

 

Coming back to work after being on trial involves somewhat of an adjustment process.  Trial requires every ounce of effort you can muster and improves your productivity by 5-fold because there are simply not enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to get done by sunup, so you cut out the blog-reading, your morning coffee-sipping becomes more like gulping, and you work.  It is a sprint.

Regular workdays, on the other hand, generally allow for a bit more flexibility.  I don't need to be in my chair by 8am.  There may be some time between assignments where I can turn off my billing clock and click on some random news articles I found through Facebook friends.  It's nice in the sense that the trial pace is not sustainable for longer than a few months, but some part of me misses that feeling of working at top capacity and doing a pretty decent job at the same time.

To help ease the transition, I have tried to focus on the aspects of my normal life that I love but let slip by the wayside when I'm working 70+ hours a week.  I've been visiting the farmer's market, getting back into a regulary exercise routine, and spending time with friends.  And trying to blog at least once a week :-)

Manolo Blahnik Pumps (gifted) (39.5)

One thing I have lost though, and maybe for good:  My regular morning jaunt through my Feedly reader list.  I used to spend an hour a day catching up on blogs, checking in with other bloggers who I have either become friends with IRL or with whom I feel that wonderful e-connection you can develop with a blogger you like.  Part of it is that the length of my unread entries list is now perhaps in the 10k+ range, and the other part is that I feel more --- what would be the word? --- unadulterated? --- without the massive influx of outside influence on a daily basis.  A lot of the blogs I read --- and probably all of the blogs of people I have actually developed some kind of e-relationship with over time --- do not have this effect on me, but I do notice that having skipped the blog-reading for a month or so now I have shopped less often for clothes, felt less crappy about what I eat, and exercised more (because I WANT to and because it makes me feel good, not because I feel guilty if I don't).

Perhaps this is just a sign that I need to follow fewer blogs, or that instead of reading ALL TEH BLOGZ everyday I should just check in with a couple people at a time as the mood strikes me.  I don't know.  Do any of you feel like this with your blog subscriptions sometimes?  Or do you just poke your head into websites periodically?

Just...trust me on this one.

Red Velvet Torte:

Gluten-free, refined sugar-free, flour-free (e.g., no coconut flour, almond flour, etc), supremely easy, chocolatey, and SO AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS.

Really, I promise, this torte will become your new favorite party trick. "Oh you like my red velvet torte? What's in it? Oh, you know, the usual....eggs, cocoa, honey...BEETS YES BEETS MUAHA."

That's right, the secret ingredient in this torte is a couple of beets, and I'd bet that unless you told people they'd probably be none the wiser. (Note: I LOVE beets, so I couldn't tell you whether the taste would be aggressive for someone who doesn't like beets. I didn't notice the beets in the recipe but that could just be because I don't hate them.)

I found this recipe at a blog called Elana's Pantry. She calls it the Purple Velvet Torte, but it looks red enough to me. Try it ASAP and come back to tell me what you think! I love making desserts with random "secret" vegetables! (See, e.g., Green Monster.)

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OOTD: If at first you don't succeed...

I got sick of showing up to work with only one post-exercise outfit to change into, discovering too late that my outfit didn't quite come together. (See, e.g., here and here.) Instead of definitively addresing the problem by, say, trying on my work outfit the night before like a rational person, I decided instead to bring one skirt and four different possible tops in my gym bag to change into. I had some ideas of the combinations I thought would work, and figured I could tinker more once I got in front of a mirror in the locker room.

 

It worked out fine, I think, but the combination I ended up going with was nowhere in my imagination when I threw clothes in my bag.

 

 

For those of you who work out in the mornings and put office clothes in your gym bag: how do you put together outfits?

 

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OOTD: Making the Best of It

As much as I prefer taking outfit photos outside my apartment in the morning, I sort of like the photos taken in front of the mirror in my office gym.  Those photos generally mean that I diligently woke up in the morning, exercised on my way to work, and then got myself ready in the locker rooms in the basement of my office building.  Getting fitter, ya'll!

Anyway, here's what I wore yesterday:

This shirt was a somewhat unfortunate final sale purchase.  It's great --- soft and a good winter neutral --- but probably a size too big.  I assembled the pieces of this outfit the night before without trying them on in advance and was a bit underwhelmed by the end product.  Thank goodness for my emergency black blazer:

Better...better...

In this Outfit:

Ann Taylor Loft Colorblocked Dolman Sleeve Top (here)

Anthropologie Checked Crops (similar)

Anthropologie Pave Post Earrings (here)

Forever 21 Lace Collar Necklace (similar-ish)

Payless Chelsea Flats (here) (TTS)

Michael Kors Runway Watch (on sale)

Harumph.

Does one outfit fail beget another?  If I am honest with myself, I wonder how many items in my current wardrobe are only mine because I needed an emergency back-up outfit after whatever I packed into my gym bag turned out to be a disaster, and those items happened to be sitting in my office after a recent online purchase.

I was debating whether to return this dress, but I guess I'm keeping it now. :-\

Hidden costs of exercise, ya'll.  Hidden costs.

FYI, this outfit does not work for the office if you swap out the heels for tall leather boots.  Just sayin, for your reference.  Doesn't work.  Does. not. work.

Weekend Dietary Hijinks

I think we had kind of a fun discussion last week in response to a photo I posted of my breakfast. The debate focused on the relative health value of the breakfast and sort of ultimately boiled down to a discussion of meat v. vegetarian carbs v. processed foods. I almost believe that there are as many "valid" diets (or ways-of-eating-for-life) as there are people in this world, because you can find scientific support for pretty much any eating plan nowadays.  (Except probably processed foods.  I don't see too many people sticking up for processed foods, except to say that perhaps in moderation you won't kill yourself with them immediately.)  I personally am easing myself into a paleo-like experiment* for the next couple months, but as much science as there is behind such a diet, there is as much science behind the opposite (vegetarian) diet and everything in between.

*  Let me take a moment to clarify that I am not "dieting."  I'm trying to figure out a new and healthier way to eat, because I feel like I need to change something in my diet.  Diet here meaning way-of-eating, not temporary caloric restriction.

Anyway, this post is not about healthy eating. In fact, if we try to "issue spot" the number of problems with my eating this weekend, we will all get very tired and take a nap under our desks within a couple of minutes. Let's not talk about healthy eating today. Instead, let's talk about what I did this past weekend.

First, a bagel-making class.

Here is my shameful Jewish girl secret: Every time I have attempted homemade bagels they have failed. (Or so I thought.) They taste fine, but they bake up weird and flat.  [Edited to add:  What's a Jewish girl's favorite thing to make?  Reservations!  hyuk hyuk.]

This was my most recent attempt a few months back:

I mean, Cupcakes & Cashmere I am not. (HOW DID HERS GET SO ROUND???)

So, when a friend alerted me to a bagel-making class at a community college in Arlington (part of their adult education curriculum), naturally I could not wait to sign up. I was hoping for the secret to nice round, puffy bagels.

I didn't get such a secret, unfortunately, but the class was still a fun way to spend a Saturday morning. The type of 20-somethings who don't mind giving up a bit of sleep on a weekend to bake and eat bagels are my type of people.

1 - "proofing" the yeast. 2 - letting the dough rise (in the bowl) and letting myself rise (in the coffee cup). 3 - the instructor shows us how to shape the bagels by poking a hole in them. 4 - topping the bagels. 5 - bagels that the instructor put together that rose overnight, which we baked in class. 6 - eating the spoils.

This is the recipe we used.

We got to take home the bagels we assembled in class to let them rise overnight and to bake on Sunday. But instead of baking bagels on Sunday, I experienced a different kind of food overload.

Second, a trip to All-You-Can-Eat "Farmer's Market Brunch" at Farmers, Fishers, and Bakers

(source)

Lordie, lordie lordie.

Understand: FFB is the type of trendy, urban hipster type of restaurant that serves "sustainable" "farm to table" American food. It's the classic type of place you'd want to go for brunch. So when I heard that they offered an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet featuring everything on this menu...

...naturally I had to check it out.

(source, because let's face it, I was way too eager to eat this stuff to actually take my own photo)

It did not disappoint. The food was good --- not exceptional, as is the curse of most all-you-can-eat situations, but quite good --- and the experience was SO much fun. Tons of food, not just on the buffet but also circulating around you. Waiters came around with trays of biscuits, cinnamon rolls, eggs benedict, flatbread, and SUSHI.

Show me a person who can resist a warm cinnamon bun and I will show you a Cylon.  (source)

Also, bruleed grapefruit is NO JOKE.

Does this make anyone else want to buy a brulee torch? No, just me? Okay.

The biggest negative was that the line for the first brunch table (the veggie table) got somewhat long at points, but if you didn't want anything from that table you could skip it, and at max I think we waited about five or ten minutes before we reached the kale salad.


How did you spend your weekend? Are you as big a fan of brunch as I am?

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The best way to start a Monday!

Good morning! I am in a fantastic mood on this Monday! Why, you ask?
 
* I started a new exercise regimen last week and my endorphins are flowing! I'll tell you more about it once I settle into a routine.
 
* I've been trying to eat a bit more cleanly...i.e., I'm reducing my intake of refined sugars and carbohydrates. I'm not cutting them out entirely or being that restrictive psychologically, but I have been consciously trying to opt for other things I also like instead. It's been making me feel more happy and energetic!
 
* I'm on a business trip to San Diego through Wednesday**, and I get to fly first-class! I am such a nerd about perks; I know first-class is no big deal to some people, but I totally get a thrill from being in a special security line, getting to board first, and being in a comfy seat. Plus hot towels! And lots of snacks! And BREAKFAST!
 

 

Omelet with "white cheddar cheese" (it looked and tasted like American cheese, but who cares), turkey sausage, potatoes, fruit bowl, and biscuit (which I left behind, because hey if I'm going to eat a biscuit, it's going to be from the likes of here).

 
Yay for perks! I can't wait until I'm rich enough to fly first class on my own dime without batting an eye.
 
** I am kind of sad to be missing inauguration day in D.C.; It would be interesting to see it. Then again, while I ordinarily love tourists, the huge influx of street-clogging bodies this weekend has been a bit unbearable, so maybe it's for the best that I am not here.
 
Do you get the day off today? How are you spending it?


PS: Check out the funny text message exchange I had the other day with someone who had the wrong phone number (I'm the person in the green bubbles):

 
LOL. Charming, buddy.
 
Hope you've got a great day ahead of you!
 

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A Not-So-Secret Oatmeal Trick

Get ready, I'm about to drop some knowledge on ya:

Next time you're about to microwave some oatmeal, drop one of these guys in the bowl first:

Of course, I recommend you crack it first. And mix it all up with the oatmeal. (You can use just the white if you don't like egg yolks.)

It'll add a nice dose of hunger-satiating protein to your breakfast and (if you use only the white) few additional calories.

Also, it makes the oatmeal turn out nice and fluffy.

Also, anybody who sees you will be like, "WTF are you doing you psychwad?" but then once you explain it to them will feel indebted to you for life. Or at least for breakfast.

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Race Report: Run For Your Lives 5K

(source)

Back in the spring, I wrote about a health and fitness iPhone app called "Zombies, Run!"  The app is essentially an audiobook about the zombie apocalypse broken into chapters ("missions") that you complete by going for a run.  Periodically during your run, you'll be alerted to the fact that zombie hordes are approaching, and you'll need to speed up (as measured by your iPhone's GPS) to evade them.

Well, a few weeks ago, I ran the live-action equivalent of this app at the Run For Your Lives 5K in Darlington, Maryland.

(all good-looking photos courtesy of my co-running co-worker, unless otherwise marked (erm, sorry Capstone...); all crappy iPhone photos and videos by me)

My coworker and I before the race.  Anonymized for her, well, anonymity.

Run For Your Lives is a simple 5k.  With obstacles.  And mud.  And freezing cold neck-deep water.

Oh, and zombies.

There were about fifteen "zombie zones" that were chock full of aggressive* undead who all wanted a piece of you.

* Caveat:  The zombies seemed to take pity on you if you fell or slowed down to catch your breath; I sort of hoped they would show no mercy and all swarm on fallen runners (until I actually fell, at which time I was all like, hey thanks for not eating my brains you guys).  Also, the zombies stayed within the vague confines of their zones, so if you needed a break you could stop just before or past the zombies and they would not come for you.  And I needed many breaks, because I was sprinting through those guys at 110% exertion.  That said, the zombies got a lot more vicious towards the end of the course so as to leave fewer people "alive" at the finish line.

(Cut because I posted a ton of photos and don't want to crash your web browsers.  You want to see them, though, so click through.  Also I'll tell you whether I "lived" or "undied.")  (Okay, fine, I'll tell you now, I lived.)