liquidjill

Snow Day!

Finally, New York got a little snow! As icing on the cake my office asked us all to work from home today! That means I can position myself next to the window (the view above) and watch it fall all day long. Plus, when the wind lets up a bit I think I may gear up and do a little romping.

In the meantime I have to tell you about this amazing Split Pea Soup I made yesterday. It was/is delicious! I had never made it before so I got some tips from various places online (thanks allrecipes.com) and constructed my ingredients:

6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 ounces veggie broth
1 1/2 cups green split peas
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

I started the process on Monday night so everything would be ready for the slow cooker on Thursday morning.

I’ll admit I started frying up the bacon before I chopped it which was probably not the best idea. Forgive me as I’m really not used to dealing with meat!

The second half of the batch was chopped properly and was a lot easier to cook (and eat!)

Then I chopped up the garlic and onion.

And the carrot and leek

And tossed everything in with the bacon

This part smelled other-worldly good. Especially once the flavors started to mingle…

I then chopped the beautiful rosemary:

I measured the split peas and threw the pre-softened portion along with the dry stuff all in a tupperware and into the fridge and it was time to hit the sack. In the morning I busted out the slow cooker and filled it full of all the fridge ingredients. All I had to add was the veggie broth and a couple of bay leaves, nothing to it!

The day at work was long, all anyone talked about was the impending snow. All I could think about was my delicious soup! I ran to the organic market near my work during my lunch break and picked up a seven grain roll to accompany my dinner. After work I had a wonderful hot yoga class but all my thoughts in savasana which should have been blank were completely occupied with mouthwatering daydreams of soup! When I got home I sliced a small wedge off my roll, popped it in the toaster and got to work ladeling out some dinner

.

It was a success. The only thing I may change in the future is to add a little cayenne to the batch, I think it could probably use a little kick. I added some to my portion though and it was perfect.

All in all the ideal cold weather treat. And at only about 270 calories a serving I felt completely justified helping myself to a very big bowl. As should you!

I have spoken many times about my love affair with Brooklyn. I don’t know if it’s because my roots are here, or because I grew up idolizing the (original) Dodgers vicariously through my father. I just feel such a kinship with this place. The music it inspires, the food, the smells, the sights the very vibe itself. It all comprises more than enough to balance the chilly evenings and the occasional wait for a train. The longer I live here the more I understand why so much literature and art has been inspired here.

I’ve done more writing since moving to Brooklyn than I have in all my adult life. I’ve even felt inspired to write poetry, which was never even a thought before living here.

Today was not an easy day, but I remembered the very simple things when I felt stress. I remembered to breathe and breathe deeply, and to be mindful of the people around me. The relationship of pain and physical stress is an intimate one, it never ceases to amaze me how much of discomfort can be caused by forgetting posture, or to think about the breath.

When things felt difficult I focused, and I decided to choose what would affect me. It wasn’t perfect, but it helped, and it was much better. I know that if I continue to think in this pattern eventually it will come without thinking and make my life much easier. By the end of my day I was so much less exhausted than I often am on these crazy busy Monday’s.

And then I came home to Brooklyn, and the night wasn’t quite as dark as it was a month ago. And though I won’t say I’ll pine for the winter when it’s gone, I must say that I’m starting to feel winters place in the balance of all of this, so much more so than before.

For now though, the cold will be my friend and I’ll find peace in it as well.

I noticed this morning that I had only a tiny bit of almond butter left. Bummer! To get the most out of what I had I decided to make my morning oats in the jar. It resulted in the most almond buttery breakfast I think I’ve ever had, so freakin yummy.

I did some writing and working on my soon to be announced secret project and before I knew it I was hungry for some lunch. Since I might attend some Super Bowl festivities later I wanted to keep things simple and healthy. Also, it’s insanely cold out once again today so I was craving some comfort food. I knew finding balance in healthy and comfort would be tough but I think I totally got it right. Behold – healthy pizza and hot tomato soup lunch!

I toasted the whole wheat flat bread first so it would be extra crunchy when all was said and done, just the way I like it. Then I added some tomato paste, seared tempeh, a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan cheese, hand shredded oyster mushrooms and lots of spices.

This is the random stuff I had lying around the fridge, weird huh?

I think it looked pretty tasty even before I popped it all in the toaster oven.

In it went for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees:

While it was toasting I heated some Amy’s tomato soup to accompany it.

And 10 minutes later I had lunch! Perfect for a chilly February afternoon.

Now for a bit more writing and the big decision of the day. Am I willing to brave the freezing cold once again for a Super Bowl party in the city? We shall see.

What a crazy action packed weekend!

Friday night I met my friend Shosh for dinner in the West Village. We found a cute little spot close to the train which was great because it was cold! Unfortunately the food was not quite what I’ve come to expect from NYC. I suppose it may have had something to do with the price tag but really, my $4 lentil soup was practically lentil-less.

And Shosh’s “seared” tuna?

Needless to say the company was far better than the food! It was nice though to have a somewhat chill evening to just talk.

Yesterday I woke up feeling the need for a little yoga in my life. Since I started training for the Century my spin classes have cut dramatically into my yoga. It was lovely to get back into the poses and sweat for an hour and a half in the hot room.

I spent the afternoon writing and baking a kabocha squash for the week’s snacks. It looks like I might have another exciting announcement coming in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned.

Last night I headed back to the village to meet up with an old friend who was celebrating his birthday. Again it was a relaxed occasion filled with stories and hugs and general good cheer. I remember his birthday last year. What a far cry it was from then. A year ago I was getting ready in my tiny apartment, freezing without heat and starving without a functioning stove.  What a difference a year makes!

Today I have grocery shopping on the agenda along with meal prep for the week. It’s Super Bowl Sunday so I may just have to fit the game in at some point as well. I hope to.

Have a great day!

Dinner tonight was another quick and easy stir fry since I was crazy starving after spin class. I threw in pretty much everything left in the fridge and added lots basil, parsley and cilantro. A dash of soy sauce was really all it needed after that and my healthy dinner was served.

It was another long exhausting day at work so the chances are good I’ll be asleep within the next hour. This would make a lot of sense since tomorrow is Friday and the plan is to hopefully have a little fun!

My parents are at the grocery store right now preparing for Snopocalypse (as it has been dubbed). Apparently, while Virginia is getting two feet of snow (!!!) NYC will get only around 2 inches. Kind of a bummer, kind of a blessing. Trudging through masses of dirty slush for 3 weeks is something I could possibly do without. I would like to see people snowboarding again in Ft. Greene Park though!

On that note I’m gonna do some stretching before I pass out cold. I’ve been really good lately with the before bed affirmations. I know it can sound silly but I’m convinced that they help me sleep better and have fewer nightmares. Here’s another peek at my favorite mantra. Give it a whirl, you never know – you might like it.

May you be well.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be free from all danger and suffering.
May you be filled with love and kindness.
May you be trusting in the creative flow of life

Have a good night!

I made a really delicious dinner tonight after a butt-kicking hour of spin class. I think my cycling endurance is already increasing, I just can’t wait to get on the real bike outside. This indoor rave party riding just isn’t the same!

The dish I made was simple, easy and delicious – I think I threw it together in just about 30 minutes. I tossed some tofu in a marinade I came up with on the fly.

Some soy sauce, honey, black pepper, spicy mustard and a handful of sesame seeds. See? Simple.

I let it all marinate while I hopped in the shower and then baked it at 375 for around 25 minutes turning once.

I threw some tempeh and olive oil in a pan and made enough for a mock BLT (lunch tomorrow) and a few pieces on the side of my dinner.

To round it out I also grabbed a small handful of corn and lima beans and boiled them in hot water for 5 minutes.

It was a fantastic and filling meal. To think, I was almost tempted by the burger joint on the way home from the gym, my food was so much better. I am kind of jonsing a turkey burger though, so look for it on the agenda soon. How to make the perfect healthy turkey burger?

In the meantime, it’s training and more training and as soon as it’s warm enough I’m gonna do myself a little road frame shopping. So exciting! I haven’t had a new bike in forever.

Don’t you just love those mornings when you wake up feeling refreshed and strong and overall pretty badass? I totally had one of those mornings today.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve finally totally kicked that cold, or maybe the company of so many awesome friends all weekend, but when I hopped out of bed this morning I was ready to do something.

I had a brunch date at 12:30 with a big bunch of friends in the east village so I didn’t have a ton of time. It’s also still super cold outside which for me rules out running – at least until it’s over 35 degrees so I took a quick peek at my gym’s class schedule and saw that there was a “boot camp” at 10am. If I hustled, the hour long class would be a perfect fit. As it turned out the class was ideal for me today. We were squatting, lunging and jumping with weights, all while balancing on a Bosu ball. There were also push ups and crunches and sit ups. Lots and lots of sit ups. Intense, but awesome. I walked out of the class sore, but feeling accomplished.

Brunch at the Sunburnt Cow was so much fun! Tons of new friends and a really chill Australian atmosphere. The meal wasn’t exactly a healthy one but I think a burger from time to time is alright with me.

I did some shopping in Soho and picked up an incredibly cute pair of pants. Before I really started this healthy training/eating path I don’t think I would have been brave enough to wear them. Even so, it was by encouragement of a good friend that I went for it. I should pair them with the new haircut and glasses on Wednesday. It feels like I’m having a veritable makeover this winter!

When I got home I was hungry, but in the mood for something somewhat healthy after the meat fest earlier so I put together a quick sandwich inspired by some blog reading I’ve done lately.

I started with some artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers

I rinsed and drained a few chunks of each and tossed them in a pan on medium heat, I figured the artichokes would be more sandwich ready if they were a little less soggy then the way they emerge from a jar.

While they were browning I toasted a deli flat:

these guys are pretty tasty and not bad for store bought bread!

Then I grabbed some hummus and made everything into a fast and easy sandwich:

With some roasted veggies from the other night on the side it became the perfect Jill sized meal.

Tonight I may put off the usual cooking fest and check out some live jazz here in Brooklyn, still deciding on that one… The weekend flew by once again. Have a great evening!

Don’t you just love a hot baked sweet potato fresh out of the oven on a freezing cold winter afternoon? I prefer it just as it is, no toppings, nothing but sweet delicious potato goodness.

Many people have asked how they can contribute to my Century ride. I’m going to make a permanent link here at some point, but for now you can just click here and it will take you to the Echelon Web site. My goal is $300, so even if you want to give something small, it will make a difference (and it’s tax deductible!) Thanks to all for the words of encouragement!

This evening I’m headed back into the city to brave wind chill temps as low as 2 below. I hear that back in Richmond (from which I hailed, a lifetime ago) the snow is still falling and has been all day. On one hand I wish we would get more of that, but then I remember the slushy ickyness that commences for the following week and I think, well, maybe not so much.

The city is so beautiful though, for those fleeting moments while blanketed in snow.

Off to get ready for my chilly night on the town!

Tonight I went to a house music dance party – also known as spin class at Crunch.

Seriously. It has the 4/4 music, the light show, the shouting/rhyming emcee and the entire time you’re pedaling in near complete darkness. I seriously expected a candy raver to pop out from behind one of the bikes and try to sell me ecstasy.

I mean it was fun, don’t get me wrong, and the time passed incredibly fast considering the insane workout I was getting. It’s just… there wasn’t a whole lot of bliss in my exercise. Though it was way more hardcore of a workout than I could ever get from yoga I missed the walking out and feeling relaxed part of the experience.

When I left I kind of felt like I was emerging from a club. Into a gym. Weird.

Once again, like so many other things in my life it comes down to more balance.

Equilibrium in the madness of life. Maybe I’ll roll my mat out later and do a few restorative poses.

When I got home I was famished, I mean crazy, ravenous “I could eat a frozen Boca patty” starving. I held off though thankfully, and took an ultra quick shower. I then decided to concoct a quick and healthy delicious meal from a combination of leftovers and stuff in the freezer.

I put a little olive oil in a pan on medium heat and browned a few pieces of very firm silken tofu,

then I tossed in a Boca patty.

I cut it up with a wooden spoon into pieces and added leftover veggie stir fry from the other night. A dash of red wine and some chopped cilantro helped to freshen up the dish.

It may not have been the most visually appealing meal, but it was delicious, and most importantly, super fast.

I saved room for a really special after dinner treat I found tonight at the organic bodega – my all time favorite ice cream!

So good, I lived for this stuff last year. It was one of the few things that helped to pull me through the darkest months of winter. Funny now though, since I’m back in the same months but not feeling the dark of them the same way at all. A safe and happy place to live has made all the difference in the world. Still though, a bowl of chocolate fudge brownie anything that has only 130 calories? Yum.

Tonight I’m going to do some writing and then try to get to bed somewhat early. Tomorrow is girls game night in the city which means wine, lots of chatting and quality time with a ton of my close girl friends, can’t wait. The week has been incredibly tough, but it really has whizzed by.

Have a great night!

Glasses shopping in the east villiage was a success! I am now the proud owner of a very hip brand new pair of custom glasses! All I need now is lenses, which are coming soon along with pictures – I promise.

It was a very long day at work today, which is still not completely over at 10:34pm if you can believe it. So as soon as I wrap this up I think I’ll be hitting the sack early tonight. I have all kinds of century cycling news though so stay tuned!

This evening Shoshana and I checked out that amazing Korean restaurant Bonjoo once again and had more delicious bibimbap, I just can’t describe how good it is, you have to check it out. I think it may be addictive though, so be careful. Soooo delicious.

Now I’m wrapping up my night with a cup of tea and some Ella Fitzgerald. Sigh. Life is good.

Have a great night!