News & Life Changes... April 12th

A LOT has been happening lately. For starters, I had to bring Peanut in for his yearly check-up early (he's not due until June but I brought him in late last week), because he got a stye under his eye that had to be looked at. You can see it slightly here:

Luckily Dr. Sane was able to give him an anti-biotic shot (because his stye got infected) that should get rid of it within a few weeks, instead of having to give him eye drops or worse still, having it surgically removed.

Peanut has been doing fine otherwise (as you can see with the way he's grinning while he sleeps!).

He was a very good boy at the vet and doesn't mind car trips at all, which is one of the reasons why we didn't change vets just because we moved. In fact, he slept like a baby most of the way back & forth! But as a little treat, I picked Peanut up a new toy at Petco today. :)

It's this cute little parrot with a feather tail and it makes a tweeting sound. He seems to be very fascinated by it.

Sunday I was meeting a fan of my blog who also lives in Astoria in Union Square. And out of nowhere, I met a fellow blogger who I've talked with but never met, who lives across the country! Jaclyn (Justjac) came up to me while I was waiting to meet my other friend, and we recognized one another right away! One thing that blogging has taught me is that it really is a small world! (And I felt like a celebrity being recognized like that! lol)

Anyways, while I was in Union Square running some errands, I stopped for brunch at the Blue Water Grill. Their restaurant is pricy, but they have good brunch deals. Here's what you get for free:

(Tasty bread and drink of your choice- I chose orange juice.)

For my entree I got an egg white omelette with veggies and home fries.

I had a meeting today (which I'll go into more in a minute), and afterwards I had lunch at Zen Palette (which was close by, off Park Ave).

I ordered wonton soup...

and their portobello mushroom burger with yam fries.

Both things lacked flavor and reminded me why I've always felt that Zen Palette does not come close to the caliber of other vegetarian/vegan restaurants in this city! I have to give them credit though, they were one of the first of their kind, but now so many places have really outdone them by leaps and bounds!

And today brings about some other news... I'm working on a major career change myself and have decided to go into real estate. This is mainly because it's one of the only real job opportunities that have come up for me. So over the next few weeks I'll be working on getting my real estate license. I had a meeting with the head of a real estate company today who offered to sponsor me. So that's where my focus is going to be indefinitely I guess! But I will try to blog when I can... Life is a funny thing, you never know where it will take you.

An Update... Finally! June 28th

Sorry I've been gone for so long, but this summer I'm going to be taking long breaks from blogging! I am focusing on other things, but I did want to give you guys an "update!" Peanut is doing well, he just had his annual check-up the other day (June 24th) and the vet said that he is "perfect." He was a very good boy and made his Mummy proud. :) And here's a tip for pet owners: get your pet used to their carrier when they're very young so they won't fight you when they have to go somewhere! Peanut loves his carrier so much, he goes in there by himself to sleep sometimes!

As far as my eats go, here are some "highlights"...

I went through a french toast phase...

I got the vanilla bean french toast at Jane (which I've been to once before). It was okay, but the crust was a little too crispy and the middle was a little too soft. And it was SO crowded there on the Sunday I went I actually had to sit at the bar or wait over 30 minutes for a table!

And I got french toast for breakfast at Friend of a Farmer one day...

Actually the breakfast came with eggs, french toast, and instead of sausages or whatever I opted for fruit. This is a great hang-over breakfast! Because I really felt a million times better after eating it!! And their french toast was AMAZING!

A home made brunch...

An egg white omelette with mushrooms and american cheese, and a yogurt parfait with Kashi GoLean Crunch, strawberries, blueberries, and Fage 2% yogurt (with maple syrup added in). I couldn't finish the yogurt by a long shot... the Kashi GoLean Crunch is very filling!

And with this TERRIBLY hot weather we've been having here in NY, I've been eating a LOT of frozen treats!

A Pinkberry frozen yogurt with oreos & strawberries.

My favorite ice cream EVER... Edy's "Take the Cake!" This is fantastic and it doesn't even have a lot of calories and fat! (And making your own cones at home is cheaper!)

And my beloved strawberry fruit bars (Whole Foods "365" brand).

Here's a new product I came across the other day... Clif's new granola bars! These aren't even in most stores yet, but I found them in Bed, Bath, & Beyond of all places! I got the chocolate chip flavor.

I thought they were pretty good. They remind me of the Nature Valley ones... you get 2 in a pack, they're very crunchy/crumbly, and they have a honey taste to them.

I don't know when I'll be updating again, but enjoy your summer folks, and I'll leave you with something to "chew" on! lol

I don't even know what Peanut was chewing on in this picture, but it's cute none the less! :)

Peanut's Big Day ~ September 23rd

We dropped Peanut off at the Greenwich Village Animal Hospital for his neutering around 9 this morning. We didn't think that his procedure would be until this afternoon, but it turns out that he was the first of many surgeries today. So before 10:30 Dr. Sane called to tell me that Peanut was out of surgery and waking up. I was shocked that he did it so quickly! It went very well and he didn't even need stitches! We couldn't pick him up until 5 though, even though his blood work and everything else was good... I guess they just need to monitor them for a few hours after they are fixed. Peanut's a whole 7 pounds now too! Dr. Sane and I were talking about how we could hardly believe that the world's tiniest kitten is growing up so fast! lol

When we picked Peanut up, he was very groggy. As soon as we let him out of the carrier he started wobbling around. But he did eat and drink a bit. He was rubbing his head on everything to mark his territory when he got home. The vet said that he would be groggy and dopey, but that tomorrow he should be back to normal. Here are a few pics that I got of Peanut in his groggy state!

My poor little boy! But it's over now, and he's fine. I am very glad that he has a vet that could do this procedure with his eyes closed! Thanks for all the well wishes, and as always, I'll keep you updated on Peanut's recovery. xo

Daily Eats ~ June 18th

Peanut has his third vet appointment this afternoon (kittens have to go every month for the first few months to get their shots). Unfortunately it's going to be pouring rain all day. Dad will be picking us up though so that should help. I really like our vet, Dr. Tracy Sane at the Greenwich Village Animal Hospital. He's a holistic vet and doesn't believe in over vaccinating animals (which can actually cause cancer!). Anyways, I'll give you a report on how it went at the vet's later. In the meantime, here's...

Breakfast:

I had 2 Van's pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup. I topped it with some real whipped cream (it has far better ingredients than Cool Whip!). I had some orange juice alongside.

Lunch:

I had an Amy's Mac N' Cheese Kids Meal with Tofu Pups for added protein.

"Mummy, please don't take me to the vet!"

All went well at the vet this afternoon. Peanut has now received all his vaccinations and doesn't have to go back to the vet until the fall to get neutered. He was a very good boy, and made his Mummy very proud! He didn't cry or struggle once, not even when he got two shots and his nails clipped! Dr. Sane is so good with him and such a nice, easy going guy, so if you are looking for a good vet in the NYC area, I highly recommend him!

Snack:

I had a quick snack today when I got back from the vet's. I had my other Kashi GoLean Chewy Bar... Malted Chocolate Crisp (this one is my favorite!).

Dinner:

I decided to have my last bit of Ellio's pizza left in the freezer tonight and it turned into a fiasco! I made the mistake of breaking the last slice into 2 pieces, and one of the pieces was too little, so it ended up falling down the oven crack and making a huge mess. Not to mention, this was all that could be salvaged... one small slice and I cut up 2 oranges to have with it.

Since I had such a small dinner, I microwaved a frozen twice baked broccoli & cheddar potato that I got from Whole Foods. (They come 2 per box, and they are good to keep around for night's like this! lol)

Snack:

I had a more filling snack tonight, because my dinner wasn't... a Food For Life Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel English Muffin with PB & J and a couple of strawberries to go along with it.

Little Peanut is worn out from his busy day...

(Actually he's a big boy now! A whole 3 pounds, 4 ounces! :)