Happy Halloween! October 31st

It's baby Peanut's first Halloween EVER, so to make the most of it I decided to make a pumpkin in his likeness this year! It wasn't very hard considering they are the same color. :) You'd all better brace yourselves for the pics ahead, because seeing Peanut and this pumpkin together is frigging adorable!!! So here is my "treat" to all of you!

I present to you, the Peanut Pumpkin!

A side view (note the tail!).

Peanut trying to figure out what the heck I'm up to!

A side by side comparison! :)

Here are some pics of the first time I ever made my cat pumpkin... It was Halloween 2007, inspired by my beloved cat Cloudy, who was 11 years old at the time. (For those of you who are new to my blog, Cloudy passed away in May 2008, and you can read more about it here. He is truly missed!!)

I'm making this post at midnight tonight because I know I'll be busy today. I'll be watching one of my old favorites tonight though, and that's Disney's Sleepy Hollow! :)

I hope everyone has a very Happy Halloween! And on a final note, Peanut says...

"Boo!"

Blog Lunch Do-Over! October 27th

Today I met Melissa (from Missy Maintains) for lunch. We had met for the first time earlier this month at the Quantum Leap blog dinner. We decided to go to the Sea Thai Bistro, because it's close to where she works, and I had to miss last week's blog lunch there. It was kind of crappy out today, but it was nice to get to meet again for lunch! We talked about food (and took pictures of course! lol), work, and of course, our boyfriends. ;) Here are my daily eats!

Breakfast:

I basically didn't get around to eating breakfast until I was nearly out the door to go to lunch! lol I had the other half of my granola bar that I got yesterday from City Girl Cafe (I had the first half last night). It's been so long since I've gotten this granola bar that I had forgotten why I loved it so much! It has such a delicious peanut butter flavor to it... yum!

Lunch:

At Sea Thai Bistro I got one of my favorite foods (and if you follow my blog, you see I eat these quite often!), spring rolls, of course! And the best part is, at Sea Thai your appetizer is free and they give you quite a few to choose from! I always get the spring rolls though because they are delicious and vegetarian!

For my main course I decided to try something different from last time, and I'm glad I did! I got the broad rice noodles with eggs, broccoli, tofu, and black soy sauce. This was really good and super filling!

Snack:

I stopped at the West Side Market on my way home, and got this new chocolate bar to try. I bought it because it reminded me of my favorite, the wonka bar! Because this chocolate bar also had graham cracker pieces in it. I had half this afternoon... it's not quite as amazing as the wonka bar, but it's up there! It's supposedly "healthier" too, made with all organic ingredients.

Dinner:

I just had an Amy's Breakfast Scramble Wrap along with an orange (considering I was still a little full from lunch).

When I got home there were plenty of Peanut shenanigans! lol

On Mom's umbrella!

In the Whole Foods bag!

And finally, helping Mom make apple crisp! (Which smells amazing, btw!)

Tomorrow I'm heading over to the Union Square farmer's market to get my pumpkin for Halloween. I can hardly believe it's already that time of year again! I go there every year to get my pumpkin... this year, I'll be making a Peanut pumpkin! And this is about as wild as it gets now that I'm too old for trick or treating! :(

So what are you all doing for Halloween?

Daily Eats Downtown ~ October 26th

It was a beautiful fall day here in NYC, and I decided to go downtown to my favorite part of Manhattan, Soho! This time last year I was in Soho nearly every day when I was going to school at the Make Up Designory (which is in the heart of Soho on West Broadway). I can't believe that a year has gone by so quickly! I know Soho like the back of my hand from all the time that I spent down there last year, and would like to share with you some of my favorite spots... Here are my daily eats so far...

Breakfast:

I had a few bites of a Rudi's organic cinnamon raisin bagel spread with peanut butter. I had some of my usual apple juice with it.

Lunch:

By the time I got into Soho I was starving... that's mainly because I only took the subway one stop down from me, and walked the rest of the way! I went to one of the city's best pizza places that I've featured on this blog once before, and that's Famous Ben's Pizza (on Thompson St. at Spring). They have the most fabulous pizza!

Snack:

I went to one of, if not my favorite little hideaway in all of Soho, and that is City Girl Cafe (on Thompson St.). For those of you who are a fan of Rachel Zoe, I know she goes there whenever she's in town. They make the most delicious goodies there and everything is quite inexpensive by NYC's standards.

I got one of my old favorites, their hand made granola bars. I used to get these all the time since my school was basically around the corner from this place! I also got one of their amazing blondies! I decided to have a bit of the blondie this afternoon, and save my granola bar for later or tomorrow.

Dinner:

Okay folks, this is about as good as I get when it comes to cooking, so please bare with me! lol I made my own egg "mcmuffin" for dinner, using a sandwich size english muffin, egg whites, and american cheese. I made some organic french fries to go with it (with some ketchup for dipping, of course!).

And earlier Peanut and I were having some playtime... (in my PJ's in the first pic... lol)

And in case you're wondering what's on my bedroom walls, YES, they are pictures of baby Peanut! :)

Be sure to check back tomorrow, because I'm going to another blog lunch!

Great New Find! October 24th

I was running some errands on this rainy Saturday afternoon, and walked by a brand new restaurant that opened up just this month around the block from me! It's called Qi Restaurant (on West 14th St. between 5th & 6th Ave.), and reminded me much of some of my beloved vegetarian asian restaurants that I go to. Just as I was looking at their menu outside, the sky really opened up, so I went in. Just like the Sea Thai Bistro, you get your choice of a FREE appetizer along with your main course. And the lunch specials all run around $7 (and that's including the free appetizer). Note that this is NOT a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, but they do have a lot of vegetarian options, much like Sea Thai Bistro. :)

Pic from inside the restaurant.

First I tried their mushroom filled spring rolls. You get 3 small spring rolls, and you can't tell by the picture, but the sauce is on the bottom of the dish-- and it's really tasty too! I thought these were delicious!!!

For my main course I tried their pineapple fried rice. This was TERRIFIC! I felt like I was cheating on Wild Ginger's, since they make amazing pineapple fried rice as well. But Qi's was almost even better, and cheaper too (which is always a bonus!).

Overall I thought this restaurant was EXCELLENT! Both the food and the service were amazing! I am just sad that I've lived in this area all these months, and now this restaurant opens, when I'll already be moving in January. :( But oh well, I'm definitely going to enjoy this restaurant while I still live right by it! I have a feeling this is going to be one of my staple restaurants on this blog, because it's so close by, convenient, and has the type of food that I've been craving so much lately.

I came home to watch Peanut lunching...

Sorry the pic was blurry, but he makes a lot of quick movements! Note the crumpled up lottery ticket by his bowls... crumpled up papers are his new favorite thing!

And speaking of Sea Thai Bistro, Melissa (from the Missy Maintains blog) and I are going to have a do-over lunch there this Tuesday (since I got sick last Thursday and had to miss it!). I love vegetarian asian themed food... it's this Italian girl's new favorite thing! :)

That's all for today, my lovelies! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Pity Party ~ October 22nd

I was supposed to attend another blog lunch today at one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants, Sea Thai Bistro. But unfortunately I woke up with a splitting headache and felt crappy all day, so I was unable to attend. :( In fact, I wasn't able to choke down solid food until later this afternoon. So I threw myself a good ol' fashioned pity party... took a bath, put my PJ's on early and ordered in some chinese takeout...

I got a vegetarian lunch special delivered free to me from Suzie's chinese restaurant in the village. It consists of wonton soup, an egg roll, and fried rice. I couldn't eat all of it, but I felt much better after I nibbled on my chinese food! And for only $8, it was a bargain! Plus, Suzie's literally delivered the order to me in 10 minutes. It was incredible how fast it came!

Peanut is thrilled with food deliveries...

And as usual, he was on the case! First he inspected the duck sauce...

Then he ran off with part of a fortune cookie! lol

On a side note, the boyfriend and I finally saw each other again last night. He got lost in the West Village when he came to pick me up (don't ask me how he managed it! lol). But I also don't know how I managed to wake up with a hangover when I didn't have one drop of alcohol last night! That's just what it felt like (not that I'd know, I'm just saying... ;).

{And to Melissa and Ellen, sorry I couldn't make it today, but I'd love to meet up again another time! It was just one of those days... I'd love to hear how your meet-up went though!}

A Veggie Girl (and her DOG?!) October 19th

This weekend I ended up going Upstate to visit my Grandparents. My Mom and I went with my Aunt and Uncle (who are also in NYC). We went up late Friday night and came home early Sunday morning. Unfortunately the one day I spent up there I didn't feel very well, but overall I'm glad I got to see my Grandparents. I should thank my boyfriend for ruining my plans this weekend, because otherwise I would've stayed home and been with him (it'll be a cold day in hell before I get the apartment to myself again, but he couldn't make it). What can I say, except that life is very hard for everyone now... both me and my boyfriend are struggling financially. I'm still supported by my parents at least, but I want my independence. My boyfriend is one of 6 children, the only boy, and 3 years older than me, so he's on his own and has to support himself (which is damn near impossible for a 20-something person to do these days, even with a good job!). Enough about my problems... on to my post today...

One of the highlights of my trip Upstate is Mae, my Grandparent's dog. Mae was rescued by a New York animal organization that went down south to rescue dogs there, and my cousin found her on Petfinder. She had been badly abused as a puppy, and my Grandparents didn't end up adopting her until she was a year and a half (back in the fall of 2005). She was very afraid of people in the beginning, but she warmed up to me right away. And now she is one of the friendliest dogs I've ever seen. The transformation has been incredible! You'd never know that she had been abused, because she loves to be around people, to be petted, get treats, etc. Anyways, without further adieu, here's my favorite dog in the whole wide world, Mae! :)

That dog will let you rub her belly all day long! I always bring her the same treats that she loves... Old Mother Hubbard's P-Nuttier treats.

I also figured that I'd go back to the original point of my blog, and that is to share my daily eats! So here's what I had so far today...

Breakfast/Lunch:

I had a plain bagel from Murray's with swiss cheese and mustard, a Mott's peach medley apple sauce, and some Popchips (a new fave of mine!).

Snack:

My lunch kept me full all day, but around 4 I was ready for a snack, so I tried one of Kashi's new Pumpkin Pie bars (perfect for this time of year!). I thought it was just okay, but once again, it turns out I only got a few bites in before Peanut came running! lol I don't know what is wrong with my cat, but he absolutely loves stuff like this. Something about the taste of pumpkin and cinnamon drove him wild! Don't fret, I didn't let him "eat" it. He just licked at it (as you can see in the pictures below).

Dinner:

For dinner I felt like having an Amy's Breakfast Scramble Wrap (yes, I'm a weird person! lol). I also had some clementines afterwards (not pictured).

Dessert:

Then I made the tragic mistake of trying to bake. Granted, even an idiot couldn't screw up Toll House cookies... so I thought... But as I was putting the cookie sheet in the oven, I managed to flip the tray, so that the cookies fell off them and into the crack of the oven door. Mom had to run to the rescue, gather them up, and then I put them back on the cookie sheet! lol But luckily the end result was good. They came out very nicely... no thanks to me! I had a couple after dinner. I haven't made these in years (which could explain my clumsiness, but anorexics are not known for being master chefs), but I'm glad I did... these babies are SO good! :)

I'd like to thank everyone for the kind words on my last post about modeling. Yes, the models in the pictures for this fall's fashion week look like Holocaust victims... It's really sickening, actually. :( I am so glad to be out of that industry though, and to answer someone's question on that post, surprisingly the pay is NOT good, which is why I'm broke now! Only the top 1% of fashion models make a lot of money. The rest are paid dribs and drabs for things. So it's very hard to make a decent living. It's a job that's more about prestige and making a name for yourself in the industry more than anything else. But regardless, I really appreciate the support guys! And Peanut does too. ;)

Feeling Sorry For Myself ~ October 16th

It's late, I can't sleep, and I'm feeling sorry for myself... for a whole variety of reasons (boyfriend trouble, family trouble, money trouble... need I go on?). And this has sparked another thing that's been bothering me. Probably most of my readers know by now that I was a fashion model here in NYC. I got down to an emaciated size 0 at 5'9", developed anorexia, and nearly starved myself to death (glamourous, right?). I have never shared modeling pictures of myself, but I decided to tonight... So, here I am, looking sullen and skinny, with my face sunken in. These are from my "book."

These pictures were taken just 2 years ago... Looking back on it, this was a very sad time in my life, and I'm really glad that I'm not the girl in these photos anymore. The pressure was enormous, and my health was very poor. I honestly don't know how I managed as well as I did... Sadly, not much has changed. Here are just a few pictures I found from this fall's fashion week...

I really should apologize if anyone was triggered or offended by any of the pictures I've just posted. Please know that I'm doing it to prove a point. This is NOT what women should strive to look like! And for God's sakes, EAT! I have known sooo many models, and I promise you that they are not happy. And on a side note, it physically hurts to be so boney. When those photos of me were taken, it hurt to sit down because I had no fat anymore covering my tail bone or spine. Keep in mind that the camera adds weight, and a lot of the clothes models are forced to wear cover up how dreadfully skinny they are, so it's really hard to tell anything from pictures!

Anyways, on to happier news! The very kind Katie at the Vitalicious company sent me a huge sampler pack of all their goodies! I was like I kid in the candy store when it arrived! Take a look! :)

It's nice to be able to get to sample everything! So far I've only tried the chocolate "Vita" products. I am in love with their brownies by the way, and usually have to haul ass to Fairway Market to get them, so it was nice to get a whole new box delivered to my door!

And finally, the daily Peanut pic... :)

I don't know what the hell my plans are for this weekend... I may be going Upstate to visit relatives, I may be spending time with my ever disappearing boyfriend, or I may just be spending time with Peanut... actually, that last option is sounding like the best one at the moment! ;)

Blog Lunch! October 13th

Today Ellie (Inside I'm Still Dancing) and I got together once again to have lunch at my favorite veggie restaurant, Wild Ginger. We really had a good time and enjoyed our lunches. I got the usual, and Ellie tried the seitan. The sauces that come with everything you order are amazing... from the spring rolls, to the steamed dumplings, to the seitan that Ellie ordered. This is hands down the best vegetarian restaurant in Manhattan. I cannot recommend it highly enough! :) So here are my pics...

Their delicious spring rolls!

The yummy steamed vegetable dumplings...

And of course, the star of the show, their pineapple fried rice! Even Ellie agreed that the rice doesn't look fried at all. It's so non-greasy, with so many healthy additives... soy protein powder, tofu, avocado, etc. As usual, I got the rest to go, because they give you such a generous portion!

After lunch we decided to go down to Babycakes, which is also on Broome St. I haven't been in nearly 2 years! Not since Halloween of 2007. It's just so out of the way that I never go. But I'm certainly glad I did! I got 2 cupcakes to go that they packaged up so beautifully (as you can see in the pic below!). I got one chocolate, and one red velvet cake. I had the chocolate one this afternoon and it was really good.

When we were heading back to the subway, Ellie stumbled upon a store that she wanted to go in. It's called Essex Street Market. I had never been there either, so we checked it out. It's a very interested grocery store to say the least! They have such a mix of different things... I'm sure Ellie will do a better job than me of describing it to you, because she took a lot of pictures while we were in there! I decided to get a fruit smoothie at their "Tra La La" Juice Bar... just strawberries, pineapple, and soy milk. It could've been a little sweeter, but it was good all the same!

Ellie and I decided to swap bars at the restaurant, as we were planning on doing this the other night at dinner... she gave me some cherry pie Larabars, and I gave her some of the oh-so-hard-to-find Clif spooky s'mores bars! It turns out that everyone's favorite blogger, Peanut of course, LOVES this Larabar! lol I gave my Mom one to try, and Peanut came up out of nowhere and started licking it! lol Here is the evidence!!

Oh, and believe it or not, but Peanut turns 7 months old today!!! Time sure is flying by us!

It was nice getting to see Ellen again, especially since she couldn't attend the blog dinner at Quantum Leap the other night... we may be doing brunch at Quantum or Sacred Chow soon! So any of my NYC bloggers that want in on this action, give me an e-mail!! lol That's all for today, my lovelies!! xo