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Life

This past week I have been very much in my head. I am not sure how to describe the events of last Sunday. Crazy, absurd, senseless. We were actually in Vegas when it happened. On a brief vacation to meet up with friends and have a few days to ourselves (the boys stayed home with one of their favorite people in the world). And believe it or not, B and I were in the ER when victims came in because I’d cut my toe badly and needed stitches. What we saw… I don’t have much to say except that I am still a little bit anxious and have been all week. I am thinking about all the people affected and holding them in the light. And hugging the kids every minute I can.

The rest of our fall has actually been pretty great. We have been apple picking (at Terhune) and we plan on doing some pumpkin picking either there or somewhere else in the area before Halloween.

I found a really wonderful facialist where I got a “five element facial” (methods based on Traditional Chinese Medicine).

I’ve been taking ceramics class at the Arts Council of Princeton. It’s something I did for years back in high school, and have definitely been missing. I’ll share pictures of my pieces as I finish them. So far I have 4 bowls in progress and I have plans for some kind of bowl/plate that will have a leaf imprint in it.

K and C are both enjoying their schools. I am very lucky to have found people that I trust with my kiddos. C started a new school when we moved to Princeton; he’s not old enough for K’s school which doesn’t start until age 2.

B’s band (finally) put out their album and they have their launch concert next weekend (not this coming weekend but the following, so almost 2 weeks from now). I’m hoping to find a sitter so I can go to the show in Brooklyn. On that note, we might spend the weekend in the city and take K to see Cats (again). He saw it once with me, before he knew the music, and we want to take him one more time before its run ends since now he knows all the words. This is a remake of the original and it was pretty good (though I do find the show a bit strange!).

I’ll leave you with this pick of my little climber – K at a birthday party earlier today!

Fearless!
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8 Foods I Couldn’t Live Without

Ages ago, MDA did a post with almost the same title. ^^ (He did 10 foods.)

So, being the copycat that I am, here are my 8 foods! (They change all the time, but really, these ones are here to stay for good.)

1. Kabocha Squash (you knew that was coming)

Kabocha, also known as Japanese Pumpkin, has been a favorite of mine for several years now. I even turned orange at one point because I was eating so much of it. It’s high in beta carotene and vitamins C, B1, and B2. For more on kabocha, read my kabocha FAQ.

2. Bacon

Bacon is the food that always keeps me from being a vegetarian. At the moment I am assuredly not a veg-head, but I’ve flirted with vegetarianism, veganism, and macrobiotics in the past. And then I remember bacon, and it’s all over. One important thing to note about bacon though, is that you have to eat the kind without nitrates and nitrites, and preferably organic/hormone-free/antibiotic-free. The nitrates and nitrites especially can contribute to stomach cancer later on in life (something I am genetically predisposed to).

3. Broccoli / Brussels Sprouts (it’s a tie)

Apples and Brussels Sprouts

Apples with Brussels Sprouts

I love cruciferous veggies! They’ve been linked to cancer and heart disease prevention and they’re filled with vitamins and nutrients. Plus, they taste really, really good. When Bobby and I first started dating I turned him onto Brussels sprouts. After hating them his whole life, it turns out that he just didn’t like the mushy kind. When I cook them now I steam or saute them so the inside is barely cooked – no mush.

4. Sunflower Seeds (and sunflower seed butter)

Ahh, sunflower seeds. Growing up I would eat these at my dad’s softball games so they always conjure up that image for me – sitting on the bleachers, reading, but staying alert enough to avoid stray foul balls. Sunflower seed butter is a more recent discovery of mine, but it ranks up there as well. (Aside: I would have put peanuts up here until a week ago, but after keeping a food log for a week – doctor’s orders – it looks like some of my stomach issues come from eating peanut butter alllll the time. Oops.)

5. Apples

Maggie picks and eats an apple

My favorite fruit. Should have in moderation because I break out from eating too much fruit (or sugar in general). However, bad at moderation = lots of apples (wah, skin).

6. Dark, dark chocolate.

My favorite dessert. Also should have in moderation because I break out from eating too much chocolate (unless it’s 99% dark – which probably just means I break out from the sugar in it). Lots of antioxidants, lots of deliciousness. You know what’s really good? Bacon chocolate.

7. Eggs

Scrambled!

I also like them fried, hard-boiled, and in a salad.

8. Butter!

Of course I need something to cook all of the above in. Love butter! Hooray for healthy fats.

***

I am now off to a yoga class.

What are your top 8 foods?

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100 Calorie Cheesecake Recipe

The other week I made applesauce, remember?

‘Twas delicious.

But what was more delicious was the fake cheese cake I made with it. This is low calorie, low fat, and sugar free cheesecake. Each large serving is only 100 calories.

100 Calorie Fake Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup fat free (organic) ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 packet stevia (or other sweetener)
  • dash of salt
  • mini food processor

Directions

  1. Blend everything in mini food processor. Top with more applesauce, if desired.
  2. EAT.
  3. (Repeat.)

Last step optional, but definitely enjoyable.

Okay, okay – it wasn’t as good as these…

Mini-cheesecakes from my coworker and friend who came over the other weekend.

***

What’s your favorite kind of cheesecake? You can make a version with mashed banana instead of applesauce if that’s more your fancy. I’ve done mashed banana cheesecake with great results.

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Jazz Apples and Walking at Home

I think I have a new favorite apple: Jazz apples.

The other day I had mentioned that I like Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Gala apples. Jazz is a hybrid of Fuji and Braeburn. They were on sale at Whole Foods for $1.99/pound and I picked up a few for tasting.

They are crispy and have just the right amount of sweetness. I think they are the perfect apples. I would not use these to make homemade applesauce – I use lower quality apples for that (like a plain Braeburn, or apples that have gotten mealy).

***

Another new thing I tried was a new (free) workout video from ExerciseTV: Start Walking 2 Mile by Leslie Sansone (it’s on Amazon, too). It’s a 32 minute workout that is supposedly equivalent to a 2-mile walk. I think I believe it – I got my heart rate up and was sweating/panting a bit in the middle.

Leslie is a great instructor – she is fun and funny. She takes you through a basic walk, some kicks, sidesteps, kickbacks (hamstring curls), knee lifts, and probably a few more that I’m forgetting.

Walking posts:

Walking is my absolute favorite exercise (even more than yoga for me) and this video delivered. I can’t really walk outside at the moment because New York is freezing. It could rival Ithaca in terms of temperature and misery for the last couple of weeks.

***

What’s your favorite spring thing to do?

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Long Walk in the Park

Today was an interesting day. I woke up early-ish (for a weekend) and I had the urge to finish painting my bathroom… so I took my vitamins, had some chocolate, made some tea, and got to work.

One and a half hours later I stepped down off of the kitchen stool and surveyed my work. It looks good. I assembled a bathroom shelf thing that has been waiting to be put up (waiting for me to finish the painting) and actually managed to screw it into the wall. It is not the fanciest of shelves, but it’s clean and simple and it does what I need it to do.

At this point I was pretty hungry, so I woke Bobby up and we ordered big salads from downstairs (Metro Cafe). Our salads always end up being complete opposites – but both are (I think) delicious (Bobby does not like my salads – too kitchen-sink-y). Metro is having a deal this month – unlimited topping salads for $6 if you order online.

After an hour or so of doing nothing, I got bored. I got out of the house and went for a walk. It was terribly cold today, but the walk was just what I needed. I walked across Central Park South, up to 72nd Street, then back across The Park. I mapped it and it was about 3.2 miles.

Today happened to be the Winter Jam at The Park, which meant that there was music, a snowboarding show, and some free samples. I picked up a bag of apple slices and a lollipop (both given to Bobby) and I bought 4 Fuji apples ($1.50/pound) for myself. The apples are gone.

We ordered Hawaiian for dinner and I supplemented with a big bowl of oat bran and oatmeal mixed together. I cooked it in almond milk and it was so creamy. Topped with maple syrup and more almond milk.

And I’ve been snacking on a bunch of fruit as well. And this kombucha tea (it was on sale for $2):

What are you working on? Any home renovations?