May Recap! May 26th

I've been so busy with my new real estate career, I haven't had time for much else. I do miss having the free time, but I am grateful to actually have a job now when so many people don't! Anyways, here's what's been going on outside of work!

I found a good asian restaurant near my job called Fusia Asian Cuisine (at 56th & Lexington). I've gone there 3 times already since starting my job 2 weeks ago! And here are my 3 lunches:

Miso soup and udon noodles with veggies and tofu (you get a choice of free miso soup or soda with their lunch special).

The next time I went in I didn't get a lunch special because I wanted to try their spring rolls and steamed mushroom dumplings!

They were quite good and I'll definitely be getting them again.

The third time I was in a rush and desperately need the caffeine, so I got a coke along with their fried rice with vegetables and I had them put tofu in it (rule of thumb for fellow veggies-- always get your protein in with your meals for energy!!).

This fried rice, while nowhere's near as healthy as my beloved Wild Ginger, was still REALLY good. Some of the best I've had (and at least they put a lot of veggies in it!).

Luckily the other day I was still able to squeeze in a lunch with Melissa at Sea Thai too! :)

I got the usual of course... spring rolls & broad rice noodles with tofu.

Then last weekend my mom and I went upstate with my uncle to visit my grandparents. I got to see my beloved Mae too. :)

My mom, grandma, and I got to go out to one of my favorite places Upstate called Fo'Castle Farm. They have both a really nice store and restaurant.

I got my usual lunch there... swiss cheese sandwich, chips, pickle, and pink lemonade.

I also got some of their chocolate chip cookies to go which were SPECTACULAR! Seriously some of the best cookies I've ever eaten (despite how plain they look!).

And in their store I got something for Peanut (I'm a typical guilty parent the second I leave him and have to bring him home something! lol).

Meet Rodney, a cute little hamster/gerbil toy! :)

And speaking of Peanut... he has been his usual adorable self!

I will try to update the blog when I can still... I've already tried a few more places by my job and by various leasing offices that I will be blogging about in the near future, so stay tuned!

Celebrations.... May 31st

First of all, it's been ONE year since I've started this blog! I can't believe how fast time flies! Technically my first post was on May 30th of last year, but my first "eats" post wasn't until a year ago today (you can see my first posts here)... But I just got back from visiting family Upstate this weekend, so I was unable to post sooner! Anyways, here is a re-cap of my busy weekend, starting with Friday.

I went uptown Friday to go to the hair salon, and I stopped at Le Pain Quotidien at 53rd & 5th for a breakfast/lunch first.

I got an apple cinnamon muffin and their vegan quiche.

The muffin was really good (especially the topping), and the quiche was ok... it was a little too spicy and I prefer eggs in my quiche I guess. Still, it was really healthy none the less! (Oh, and the thing on top of the quiche was a piece of artichoke? At least, that's what they told me! lol)

And here I am riding back from the salon in a cab... I really had to rush home and pack!

For dinner that night we ordered pizza because we were in a hurry! We got it from Rivoli Pizza in the West Village (we've ordered from them before and the pizza is always great!).

I tried to take pics while I was Upstate, but it was hard to "sneak" them in! Most people don't understand the concept of taking pictures of what you eat... hell, my Grandma doesn't even understand or accept the fact that I'm a vegetarian!

So here are the eats I got in...

Grandma's coffee cake... this is AMAZING. Seriously, the best coffee cake I've ever had.

For dinner Saturday night Grandma made (or I should say my Mom made, because she assisted so much!) linguini & clam sauce. (Again, clams and shrimp are two of the only things I'll tolerate. And I usually only eat them in social situations like this one. It was good none the less!)

My Aunt brought up some cupcakes that she had made. I had a red velvet one... can't go wrong with that! ;)

On Sunday we had a family get together at my Grandparent's house... here I am in Grandma's living room (Mom is in the very back there, lol).

I had a good time playing with all the dogs that people brought over! Both my cousins brought their dogs, but my favorite will always be my Grandparent's dog, Mae. (You can see more about her here.)

Here is a better pic to see what she looks like (although since she's under the table it's kind of dark).

Unfortunately I wasn't able to snap a pic of my dinner that night. We had a BBQ. I managed to find Morning Star Farm's Italian Sausages in a grocery store Upstate! I had one with some corn-on-the-cob! Here's what they look like:

Tonight for dinner I used the remaining sausages in pasta. I kind of made my own pasta with "meat" sauce. I can't say enough good things about these "sausages." They taste like the real Italian sausages that I've had when I was little. Only they are WAY better for you and of course, meat free!

On our drive home this morning (and we got up EARLY this morning to leave), once we got back into the city, we got to have an up close and personal look at the Memorial Day festivities. We happened to drive right by the piers (it's "fleet week" here in NYC), where they were having Memorial Day services, events, etc. I wish I had taken some pictures, but we were going by it kind of fast in the car.

Still, there was someone who was VERY happy to see us when we got home!

How was your Memorial Day weekend?

And in light of my first year anniversary, how long have you been blogging?

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. ;)

Daily Eats ~ July 17th

Despite all the chaos yesterday, I'm still working on those FAQ's! So don't forget to send them to: marinajc@rcn.com. Or you could post them in the comments. Thanks!

Breakfast:

I made a yogurt parfait with a Fage 0% yogurt, drizzle of maple syrup, handful of blueberries, and Kashi GoLean Crunch. I also had an apple juice box with it.

Lunch:

I went out for just a few minutes today (you need an oxygen mask out there because it's so hot & humid, and the air quality is terrible!). I got a whole wheat bagel from Murray's for myself & an onion bagel for Mom. When I got home I put 2 slices of swiss cheese on it and a bit of mustard. I had some goldfish crackers with it too.

Peanut was enjoying some of Mom's "half and half" (iced tea & lemonade). He seems to like it for some reason!

Snack:

I had a Kashi GoLean Chewy Cookies 'N Cream bar.

Peanut taking a nap with his "companion" (that's what we call his raccoon toy).

Dinner:

I had an Egg Beater's Southwestern Style omelette with Birds Eye Steamfresh Southwestern corn! I put a little stir-fry sauce on the omelette to spice it up a bit too. This was a very flavorful, delicious dinner!

Dessert:

I made a blondie sandwich(!) out of 2 Glenny's Chocolate Chip Blondies (that I warmed up in the microwave), with Nutella sandwiched between them and spread on top. I also had a few strawberries with a dollop of whipped cream alongside. (I found that the Nutella really helped with the aftertaste I felt these blondies had.)

Peanut was sleeping so cute on my Mom earlier... just thought I'd share! :D

On to some good news... my Grandpa was released from the hospital today. He still has a lot of recovering to do though. But hopefully the worst is over now, and he'll be able to get better. I know my Grandparents' dog, Mae must be thrilled to have him home (since it's been a whole week)! My Grandfather does everything for that dog, and she just adores him-- she's such a sweetheart! The next time I visit them, I'll be sure and get some pics of her to share! Anyways, have a good weekend everybody!

Daily Eats ~ July 14th

Like I mentioned yesterday evening, I'm going to be composing a list of FAQ's in the near future, so if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail them to: marinajc@rcn.com.

Breakfast:

I had 2 slices of Trader Joe's french toast, topped with their own maple syrup, sliced raw almonds, with berries & an apple juice box alongside.

Lunch:

I had an Egg Beater's Cheese & Chive omelette with Birds Eye Steamfresh garlic baby peas & mushrooms.

Peanut watching me eat lunch... Where's the peach medley, Mummy?!

Snack:

I am majorly PMS'ing today, and I happened to be going by the store that carries my favorite chocolate bar, so I couldn't help but stop in and get it! It's Nestle's Lion chocolate bar. It's basically a chocolate covered cereal bar... I don't know why it's so delicious, but it is! (That's one of the things I love most about NYC-- you can find all sorts of goodies from all over the world. This particular bar is from the UK I believe.)

Dinner:

I had 2 Yves veggie dogs (with ketchup), an Annie's single serve mac & cheese, and some oranges cut up. (I decided to balance this meal with fruit rather than veggies because I had my peas earlier.)

Peanut lounging on our chaise.

Snack:

I had a Clif Fruit & Nut bar with a glass of orange juice... When I felt a little better later, I had 2 Trader Joe's cheese sticks-- that I shared with Peanut (not pictured).

I have yet another headache... it was nagging me all day and has recently become worse. I plan on going to bed earlier tonight anyway, because tomorrow my parents and I are going out to the Hamptons for the day. We'll be stopping for lunch in Southampton at one of my favorite restaurants (there are so many great restaurants to choose from!), and then we're going to check out Bridgehampton as well, because that was the one town we didn't get to visit on our vacation out there last year. (We're basically scoping out towns before we go house hunting early this winter... but so far we like Southampton the best.)

Grandpa is doing better, although we still don't know when he'll be released from the hospital. Grandma is being a gloomy gus about the whole thing, even though the doctors keeps assuring her he'll be okay. She has always been a pretty negative person though, and can't handle anything, so I'm not surprised. Still, they're old and it's hard for them to cope. :(

And to those of you who sent/posted questions, know that I am saving them for my FAQ list, so keep them coming!!!