This morning I woke up jittery so I went out for a jog. I did about 1.75 miles (?). When I got back I picked up my breakfast from Metro Cafe – a 12 ounce oatmeal made with skim milk + cinnamon, banana, and blueberries.

I finished it, but it wasn’t very good. I’m not getting it again. What the what Metro Cafe? I’ll stick with your bagels. Tomorrow’s breakfast is going to be instant grits from a hotel we stayed at on the road trip. Hehehe.

After a long day at work I opted for the hot foods bar at a random deli on my way home (I walked; about 1.5 miles or so). I met up with Bobby in the middle. (He got pizza.) I dumped honey mustard dressing on this.

This meal was kind of oily but really good. I had grilled chicken, random prepared salads (something with broccoli, one with mushrooms, a sealeg salad, tomatoes, etc…), a sweet potato (I think), and some other things that I can’t remember right now.

Dessert was rice with honey mustard dressing (a little random) and these carob chips that my sister gave me. Um… more than pictured. I might still be eating them now.

I’m off to snuggle and get some rest before work tomorrow. I apologize for the lack of commenting as of late; I’m sorry to say it’s going to continue. I’m still reading of course.

What was your favorite job?

Like this post? Check out...

• November 2, 2009 -- I’m Back On Track
• October 8, 2010 -- How to Maintain Good Health (Cafe) Habits
• February 16, 2009 -- A day in the life (macrobiotic-ish) & 7 loves
• March 29, 2009 -- Guest Post – Maeve!
• September 13, 2011 -- Weekend Link Love [on a Tuesday...] – 09.13.2011

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We did the lunch special at Edo Sushi. I got chicken and broccoli again ($5.75; steamed) and Bobby got Salmon Don ($12). These are Droid pictures. The special comes with soup (miso for me)…

And then you get your entree. Mine came with rice on the side but I saved it to make fried rice later.

Edo’s is my favorite Pennington restaurant.

Dinner was at a new place called Pho 99; it’s Vietnamese. It’s up on Route 27 past Princeton. I opted for the papaya salad with shrimp (my usual). It comes with peanuts and a nice Vietnamese dressing. I also add hoisin sauce.

It was actually quite average and much smaller than I’m used to. Bobby offered to share his very large bowl of pho with me (beef noodle soup) and I happily obliged.

The pho was delicious. The broth was really good; so was the beef; the noodles were just average though. I’m like Heather; I don’t have beef often, but sometimes it just hits the spot. This was super lean and thinly sliced.

I have to go get dressed and ready for the wedding (it’s at 2:30pm)… after the reception we’ll do some more moving or wait until tomorrow.

Holding myself accountable – I have not gotten in a good workout this week or last week at all. I want to get back on track with that. I haven’t even been able to do my standard walking or yoga. I’m writing this here for answerability. Maybe I’ll try to get a walk in before the wedding. I have also been eating grapes by the pound, and I need to stop for the sake of my skin, tummy, and wallet (grapes are expensive; they make me bloat; I just had a facial – I don’t want to ruin it). The facialist said to cut back on sugar and I want to listen to her (I know she’s right).

What are you doing this weekend?

Like this post? Check out...

• March 18, 2009 -- Yogurt Winners!
• February 5, 2009 -- Lovely oatmeal, soba, and yoga. Ahhh-dog.
• January 2, 2011 -- Happy New Year! A Year In Review.
• January 26, 2009 -- Healthy Choice Fudge Bars!
• January 16, 2009 -- Yogurts & yoga

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Appetizer: Heavenly Stuffed Wings – de-boned chicken wings stuffed with ground chicken, silver noodle, cilantro, water chestnut and black mushroom. They came with this great sweet dipping sauce. This was kind of scary at first (fried! processed! breaded!) but the deliciousness made up for it.

For dinner we shared 4 dishes. The Blue Mango Fried Rice – a big house special: chicken fried rice topped with sweet garlic pork.

The Green Curry – eggplant, bamboo, and bell pepper are soaked in coconut milk, with a hint of basil (cannot be mild).

Mushroom Mountain, as usual – soft tofu, baby corn, bamboo, straw mushroom, and bean sprout stir-fried with a bit of green curry paste. Sesame seed are sprinkled on for a beautiful finish.

And Basil Chili Chicken, also as usual – with bell pepper and onion.

After dinner we went out for dessert (frozen yogurt) at Golden Spoon – pumpkin pie and chocolate flavors. The toppings were raspberries, mango (not ripe, unfortunately), and crushed brownie bits.

Blue Mango never disappoints. And neither does Golden Spoon. If you ever get a chance, go there! (I’m talking about the Blue Mango on Stevens Creek – I hear the other one is not so good.)

Now that I’m in NJ I don’t have Blue Mango. But I do have Edo Sushi! Bobby, Julia, and I all went out for dinner tonight. I love this place. Edo Sushi is a Japanese and Chinese restaurant on Route 31 in the same shopping center as Pennington Market. It’s about a 10 minute walk from my parents’ house.

First is the tea… (unlimited and free – my two favorite qualities). Notice my cool NY key chain – it’s kind of vintage because it has the twin towers on it. I think I got it back in middle school.

I got chicken and broccoli with the sauce on the side (brown sauce).

The other pictures didn’t come out, but Julia got veggies and tofu with the sauce on the side (also brown sauce). Bobby got the Dragon vs. Phoenix – chicken, shrimp, and veggies stir-fried with yet another brown sauce. He also got a big pot of rice.

We finished everything. The check came with pineapple cubes and fortune cookies. Yum! I love Edo’s.

This dinner was nice after my indulgent afternoon… My parents gave me a massage + facial combo for my birthday and I finally used it. I went to Sydney Albert Salon Spa in Princeton. I’d highly recommend this place – I’ve been going there for years and I’ve always loved everything. Their haircuts are amazing, the facials are fantastic, and the massage was wonderful. Bobby also got a massage and he loved it.

While we were getting pampered, our Relocube arrived. Now we have to unpack it. I’m going into the city tomorrow, but when I get home I think we’re going to try to start sorting through all of our stuff. It’ll be a big project.

What’s your favorite restaurant?

Like this post? Check out...

• October 19, 2010 -- OZU Macrobiotic Restaurant Review (New York)
• March 31, 2009 -- Guest Post – Christina!
• May 15, 2011 -- NuNaturals Winners!
• July 11, 2011 -- Crazy Seaweed Kabocha Eggy Salad, Peanut Vinaigrette, Secretariat – Dinner and a Movie!
• January 27, 2009 -- Dave Farmar kicks my butt

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The nutritional info (in 1/4 cup serving): 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 31 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 4 grams protein. The cereal is wheat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Ingredients: whole grain brown rice, corn, white sorghum, buckwheat.

Neither of us have food allergies, but we love trying specialty foods. We’re both a little lactose intolerant, but we kind of ignore it. I love trying all kinds of foods though, and gluten free products are usually mighty tasty. This cereal is made of brown rice, corn, sorghum (?), and buckwheat.

It was great mighty tasty. I made 2 bowls of it this morning. I soaked each serving in water before cooking. I didn’t drain them; I just added the soaking cereal to boiling water. Bobby’s bowl was savory:

• 1/4 cup cereal soaked in 1/2 cup water + another boiling 1/2 cup water
• dash of salt
• 1/2 shredded string cheese
• 11 sauteed shrimp (olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, sesame seeds)

My bowl was sweet:

• 1/4 cup cereal soaked in 1/2 cup water + another boiling 1 cup water
• dash of salt
• 1/2 of a wallaby organic raspberry yogurt
• a few handfuls of nature’s path smart bran
• sesame seeds
• maple syrup (unpictured; added later)

You boil water and add the cereal. Then turn the heat to low and cook it (covered) for 5-10 minutes or until it’s the right consistency for you. You have to stir it occasionally. The more water you use, the bigger the cereal will be. Bobby doesn’t like volume foods for breakfast so I didn’t use as much water for his. I used lots of water for mine.

Mm, mm… mighty tasty. I feel like there might be this whole new world out there of amazing hot cereals that I didn’t even know existed. My staples have always been oat bran, oatmeal, and grits. What should I try next?

Like this post? Check out...

• January 28, 2009 -- Green Monster Madness
• September 23, 2009 -- Simple Thai Stir-fry with Spiralized Summer Squash
• June 28, 2009 -- Chard Oat Bran & salad (duh)
• January 19, 2009 -- Are women hungrier than men?
• September 26, 2008 -- Goodeats for 9/25/2008

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• Becoming Whole (book review)
• Week 2 wrapup
• Week 1 wrapup
• Lessons learned

Gingery Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained (~2 cups)
• 1 small/medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2-3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoons grated ginger
• salt, to taste
• <1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wok/pan over high heat. Add the ginger and chopped onion; saute for 2-3 minutes (it should start to smell really good).
2. Add the chickpeas and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add a few tablespoons of water to the pan and stir everything around. As the water evaporates, mash a few of the chickpeas so that some are mushed and some are still whole. Add salt, to taste.
4. Serve hot with bulgar, or other grain of choice.

Bobby and I both had ours with bulgar. I adore bulgar. Definitely a favorite carb. It fluffs up so much more than rice does. For dessert the night we had this dish, I had more bulgar topped with maple syrup.

I’m off to enjoy my Saturday… what are your weekend plans?

Like this post? Check out...

• January 4, 2010 -- Review: Savor Saigon (Fairless Hills, PA)
• May 15, 2011 -- NuNaturals Winners!
• August 13, 2008 -- Baby Artichokes (Weekend Herb Blogging)
• August 29, 2009 -- I’m a juice addict
• November 1, 2008 -- Pear & Crab Salad – Blogger Secret Ingredient

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So I forced them open! Bobby calls this “constipated Maggie”.

He’s no better. He can’t get his head out of the rice!

Ahh, there he is.

So my favorite carbs are clearly squash (pumpkin in particular, and kabocha more specifically) and rice cooker oatmeal. Bobby’s favorite carb is rice.

What’s your favorite carb?

Like this post? Check out...

• January 8, 2012 -- Humbled.
• May 1, 2011 -- Weekend Link Love – 05.01.2011
• January 2, 2012 -- 2011 New Year’s Resolutions
• July 6, 2010 -- Hot In The City: Grilled Cheese!
• January 3, 2009 -- Some yummy meals

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Anyway, this is my method for rice cooker oats. They come out so creamy and delicious. They were actually better than the oats I had on Sunday.

Rice Cooker Oatmeal

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

• 1 cup oats
• 2 and 1/3 cups water
• 2 dashes of salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 1 teaspoon stevia (optional)
• toppings: chopped dates, granola, crushed raw cashews

Directions

1. Dump the water, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and stevia in the rice cooker. Press “cook”.
2. Come back about 10 minutes before it’s done (according to the timer – this will probably be about 10 or 15 minutes after you started it) and open up the cooker. Stir around the oatmeal (it will probably be more liquidy on top) and mix it up well. Let it cook for another 5-10 minutes.
3. Scoop out your serving and top with your favorites. Mine are dried fruit (dates), granola, and nuts (cashews this time, but almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds are also great).

I had half for breakfast (so a 1/2 cup serving) but then I ended up eating the other half plain as a snack a few hours later. It was so good plain. I love adding cinnamon and vanilla to my oats. The stevia added a little bit of sweetness too – perfectly delicious.

If you’re short on time, this is a great method for cooking oats. You can toss them in the cooker and hop in the shower. While you’re getting ready, the rice cooker does all the work. And it’s way better at making creamy oatmeal than I am. If you don’t have a rice cooker, you should definitely consider getting one… it’s not just for rice!

Like this post? Check out...

• November 22, 2008 -- I love weekends
• June 28, 2009 -- Chard Oat Bran & salad (duh)
• July 15, 2009 -- Sunnybowl Dinner
• August 26, 2008 -- Banana Bread
• June 6, 2010 -- Flexitarian Foodie Fun

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As usual, feel free to switch up the veggies. I think the cauliflower is pretty essential for all curries, but do what you like. This recipe is particularly simple because you can get curry paste at any local Asian market. This was my first time using it. Depending on what protein you use, this can be vegetarian or vegan.

I’m submitting this to the Blogger Secret Ingredient contest, hosted this week by Coco! She picked cauliflower.

Indian Curry

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup curry paste
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup cubed white potato
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 8 ounces protein (tofu, chicken, etc… we used frozen chicken thighs from Trader Joe’s)
• 1/3 cup milk/coconut milk/kefir/yogurt (optional)
• parmesan, yogurt, sour cream, or other cheese for topping (optional)
• base – rice, squash, or other carby-carb.

Directions

1. Boil the water in a soup pan. Add the curry paste and mix well. Add the potato and protein. Cook for about 5 minutes
2. Add the rest of the veggies and cook for another 3-4 minutes until they’re tender. If they aren’t covered by the broth, don’t worry – they shrink down. You can also add the milk at this point. I added a little bit of kefir and it came out well.
3. Ladle the veggies, meat, and a whole lot of broth over rice or squash. Top with parmesan.

This meal was very satisfying on a chilly fall night. I had both halves of my delicata filled with curry. Bobby has been obsessed with the rice I’ve been making lately… want to know the secret? I add some salt and pepper while cooking, and then when it’s done I drop in a tablespoon of butter and mix it up while it melts.

If you missed my post yesterday, you should check it out now. I got a lot of really great responses. I talked about whether or not a raw food diet is actually “natural” or not, based on a primatologist’s research. The question was, Does cooking make us human?

I also wrote this post: Does language make us human?

I have a question for you, readers – what do you want to see more of? Daily meals? Cooking tips? Recipes? Crazy cool foods like kabocha? Scientific research like the cooking/human post? Beauty information? Product reviews? Book reviews? More workouts? Giveaways? Leave me a comment to let me know

Like this post? Check out...

• May 5, 2009 -- Review: PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook
• July 7, 2011 -- A Girly Breakfast – Yogurt and Fruit
• October 31, 2008 -- Halloween Shenanigans
• September 14, 2008 -- More eats for 9/13/2008
• May 18, 2009 -- Blogger Secret Ingredient: KABOCHA

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Pepper-Lime Red Snapper

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 red snapper fillets
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated pepper
• pinch of sea salt
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, grated
• topping: salsa, parmesan

Directions

1. Combine the fillets, lime juice, pepper, salt, and grated garlic in a bowl. Mix around so the fish is well coated. Let it sit 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator so the flavors really sink in.
2. Heat a pan on high heat. Spray with cooking oil or PAM. Cook the fish for 3-4 minutes on the first side, covered. Flip them over and cook them another 3-4 minutes uncovered.
3. Serve with fresh salsa and your cheese of choice (optional, of course). Seasoned rice is a good side.

Seasoned rice: add salt and pepper to your rice (1 cup dry) while it’s cooking (I do mine in the rice cooker – so simple). In the last 3-4 minutes toss in chopped carrots and celery. At the end, add 1 tablespoon of butter and mix it around until it melts and blends in.

Tomorrow morning I’m going to to San Francisco for a blogger meetup with Kath and maybe Jenna! I also have another awesome announcement. You’ll have to wait to hear about it though Bobby has class all day so I’m going to try to get lots of work done. Go enjoy your weekend!

Like this post? Check out...

• February 14, 2010 -- Brunches and Valentine’s Day
• October 31, 2008 -- Halloween Shenanigans
• June 30, 2010 -- The Girl of Sandwich or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bread.
• October 15, 2009 -- Crazy Love
• July 25, 2010 -- Wedding Weekend

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Bobby and I also split these sweet potato fries and he got a crispy chicken rice bowl.

As of the last few days, I’m really happy with what I’m eating. Yes, there are times that I eat too much fruit… many many times – but I’m a work in progress (aren’t we all?). One of the ways I’ve been enjoying (copious amounts of) fruit is with a fun kick.

This is a fresh farmer’s market nectarine, sea salt & pepper, and dill! Now mix it up and multiply by 5 or so, and you have my nightly dessert.

I’ve also been taking a (temporary) step back from yoga. I think I want to try something new – possibly Tai chi? I don’t know where to start, so any suggestions would be welcomed. In Chinese, Tai chi chuan means supreme ultimate fist. YEAH.

Link love:

• Did you know humans are still evolving… quite rapidly? Cool LATimes article here.
• Think green tea is healthy? Might be time to think again… it could be linked to bone loss.
• A Love of Words: language change, Oxford commas, and some pet peeves.

I’m up early today! I couldn’t sleep. But I’m being very productive. What is your best time of day to get work done?

Like this post? Check out...

• June 28, 2009 -- Chard Oat Bran & salad (duh)
• April 22, 2009 -- Survey of 8′s & more salads & earth love
• August 4, 2009 -- Massaging Kale
• May 21, 2011 -- We’re Going to Paris! (Travel Links & Ideas)
• January 30, 2010 -- Let Your Voice Lead

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