liquidjill

Ok, real question – how on earth did I manage to live in Brooklyn for almost a year and a half and not make it to BAM until last night?

It’s seriously hard to fathom.

In any case the Brooklyn Academy of Music, or BAM as anyone around these parts calls it, has got to be one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen a movie. And not only that, but the movie, Up in the Air wasn’t too shabby either.

Before the showing a bunch of friends and I went to the bar/stage area upstairs to check out some free live Cuban music. Although I stuck to the plan and took it easy on the alcohol I couldn’t help but groove on the music. And for free on a Saturday night? 6 blocks from my apartment? Heck yeah! Here’s an iPhone pic of the show:

I have to say the only real way to round out a healthy eating/living plan is to spend at least one evening a week throwing down with some of your closest friends.

After the movie 6 or 7 of us wandered up to the wine bar 4 blocks from my casa and sampled some delicious cheese and meat platters (delish!) and then wrapped up the evening at the German beer garden at the end of my block. Although I was bummed that the night had to end it was awfully convenient to walk 3/4 of a block home to my bed.  This morning I woke up around 8, had some of my steel cut oats w/ almond butter and headed out for a run/walk in this beautiful and unseasonably warm day.

This evening I just finished whipping up some roasted root veggies and homemade pasta sauce. I thew some buckwheat soba noodles into the mix and boxed them up nice and neat to bring in for lunch Monday and Tuesday.

I probably should have taken some nicer pics when the food was plated but after my late night last night and all that exercising I was famished. I practically ate my portion right out of the pan.

I threw the sauce together with some things I had lying around in the fridge, here’s how I did it:

• 1/2 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• evoo
• thumb sized chunk of fresh ginger chopped
• 1/2 yellow and 1/2 green zucchini
• about 1 1/2 cups eggplant (sweated in the fridge for a couple hours)
• old red wine from last week (!!!)
• 1/2 cup portobello mushrooms
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• fresh basil
• fresh cilantro
• 8 or so roasted red pepper halves
• 2 tsp hot rooster hot sauce (this is from chinatown and crazy spicy and delicious!)
• 1 1/2 cups buckwheat soba noodles cooked al dente

So I sautéed the onion and  garlic in the olive oil till everything softened a bit, then I added a couple blocks of tofu that I picked up from a street vendor in Chinatown on xmas eve (it was amazing). I let that brown for a bit since I like my tofu cooked well.

I then poured in a bit of red wine and added some basil, cilantro and various spices. I added the eggplant and zucchini and let both break down a bit. then in went the mushrooms tossed with the tomato paste and a dash more red wine. After all the flavors had some time to mingle I added the diced tomatoes and hot sauce and let it all simmer while I cooked up the soba. After the soba was drained I added it to the saucepan and let everything simmer together (with more delicious fresh cilantro) for a bit before serving.

It was spicy and filling and delicious and – best part – I got to share it with my roommate, which is always fun.

This week I’ve taken off Wed-Fri to spend some time with two of my dearest friends visiting from Virginia. I can’t wait to see them and show them around town a bit. This is gonna be a tricky week to stick to my plan but the idea is to take a hot yoga class on Tuesday and then download another power vinyasa for Wed morning at home. I think if I pay attention and stay mindful I should make it through the last of the holiday season without steering too far from my plan!

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