After a fairly miserable red-eye flight, Kyle and I returned to our 10 degree apartment Monday morning. 🙁
With a list of errands longer than the Gettysburg address and a brain still on a mental vacay, it goes without saying…I felt a bit overwhelmed. It didn’t help that I couldn’t stop shivering for the first 2 hours. I finally had to take a shower to get my body temp back to a normal range.
After a piping hot cup of cocoa (the apartment is coffee-less!!) I unpacked, laundered, made a grocery list…and STILL felt like I had more work to do than Tiger’s publicist.
Rather than fuh-reeeek out, I decided to take a nap. For the record, I’m really NOT a nap person. But then 5 hours of frequently interrupted sleep on a plane does not make me the most efficient person, so it turned out to be a good idea.
Before I forget, I have gotten this award from a few different peeps, and I cannot neglect my duties as a blogger any longer…
You are supposed to list 10 things that make you happy, do at least one of them today, and then pass the award on to 10 other bloggers. OK. Here we go:
1. My main squeeze. Ummm, check 😉
2. Cooking (as in recipes, not just throwing hummus on the nearest veggie and calling it a masterpiece). I need to work on doing this more.
3. Eating (duh!)
4. Reading a good book. I’m on a losing streak with my latest choices, so I really need to get on the ball. Recommendations are not only welcomed, but encouraged…
5. Blogging (another, duh!)
6. Getting my endorphins flowing. Winter is the worst for staying motivated, but I’m determined to keep in shape. I just have to remind myself how great I feel after, and that braving the sub-zero temps is worth it.
7. Watching crap on tv. Hi my name is Elise and I’m a Bravo addict. Aint no shame in it. I DEFINITELY did this today.
8. Coffee. I decided it deserves it’s own point. It’s THAT important.
9. Sleeping in. I wish I did this today…
10. COMMENTERS!! C’mon people de-lurk – I love hearing from you 🙂
And with that, here are 10 others I shall pass this on to (who may very well have already done this):
(Another) Katie
(Another) Jessie
But back to the eats. My ONLY requirement for breakfast (well, lunch since it was almost 2 pm) was that it was WARM.
Oat bran, coconut milk “creamer” and Chatfield’s raw cocoa powder.
With a stomach coated in chocolate oat bran, I felt a bit warmer, but still not great. I’m going to avoid complaining about the weather as much as possible this winter because I know it’s not enjoyable to read why you’re here.
After I had finished off the oat bran I remembered a certain package that arrived before I left.
Hey Hey HEYYYYY. J’adore Newman’s. And without a doubt, these hermits are one of the few things I was looking forward to upon my return to NYC. If you think I was able to limit myself to the two cookies photographed above, then you don’t know me very well at all.
I really didn’t feel like leaving my comfy bundle of blankets. So I didn’t. I cut up apples, sprinkled cinnamon on top, and snuggled up to more of the first season of True Blood. Next thing I knew it was 7 pm. Shoooooot. Mara! What’s for Dinner? I was scrambling like Mark Sanchez to make something out of nothing (that reference is for you my dear).
Soy noodles + spiralized zucchini + tofu/nutritional yeast “cheeze” sauce =
Vegan Alfredo Pasta
I found a roll in the freezer to soak up the extra “cheeze” sauce. Not too shabby for a scavenged meal.
But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was thinking of these the whole time. You can call this dessert, or you can call it my second dinner course, but either way, I had enough for it be considered a meal in and of itself.
Tea and apple slices. Game, set, match.
I really need to try that coconut creamer…I can never seem to find it when I’m looking for it. Glad you’re back safe.
p.s. I’ve been reading your blog for a while now…sorry it took so long to comment. I guess the desire for that creamer made me do it!
that vegan alfredo pasta looks amazing – i think you’ve convinced me to finally go get a spiralizer!
and would you mind sharing the recipe for that cheese sauce? i’m always on the hunt for yummy things to do with nutritional yeast 🙂
Thanks for the award!
I’ve never been on a red eye flight but I will have my first experience next month. NOT looking forward to it but I’ve heard those neck pillows make all the difference…
I need some hermits.
Thanks for passing along the award, hun! Your top 10 and mine are pretty much the same!! lol
Your oatbran looks incredibly yum.. nice and filling!! 🙂
Good luck getting back into the swings of things.
I think I just may get my shirataki on tonight, too! Glad you made it home safe and sound… maybe now that things are settling back down we can FINALLY get together? Maybe?
Do you have a recipe for that “cheese” sauce? Looks delish!
Wanna try something decadent/amazing? Who are we kidding, of course you do!!! I cooked my oats in 100% coconut creamer this morning… yes, you read correctly NO WATER, NO ALMOND MILK straight up creamy glorious coconut goodness. Biggest splurge (for my wallet) this week, as the entire container was used for this single meal. What’s more is that I didn’t even need to doll it up with granola, nuts, butters-of-the-nut, chia, etc (although a sprinkling of coconut snow might have made an appearance). Try it, now.
One of these days ill like shirataki noodles… i just cant justify my noodles sans carby goodness. thoughts?
MA
ugh. red eye flight. no bueno.
i still need to try hermits. i keep seeing them and curiousity will soon hit and i will cave & buy them. what do they taste like though? 🙂
i agree. the soy noodles are very weird. i dont even know why i had them in the apt. i buy them once every few months and they stick around in the fridge until every last thing is gone and then i have to eat them. that last sentence is not exactly the best campaign for shirataki is it now?!? hahahs. plus, you have to rinse them several times to rid the weird stank from them. not my number one choice, but the fridge scene was beyond bleak. the addition of the spiralized zucchini really really really helped though.
you have me super intrigued by the coconut creamer oats. i have a feeling those will make an appearance very soon. these things tend to stick around in the back of my mind until i try em 😉 i used up my coconut creamer today though, so ill have to go get another soon. thanks for the tip!!
a combo of gingerbread, molasses, and oaty snickerdoodle cookies. sooooooo good!!!
ill post it in my next post because a few people have asked, but it was 12 oz of silken tofu (the whole box), 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, unmeasured amounts of salt, 1 tsp miso paste, dash of paprika.
surely my dear: it was 12 oz of silken tofu (the whole box), 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, unmeasured amounts of salt, 1 tsp miso paste, dash of paprika.
I need to get back in the Newman’s game. I had to take a brief hiatus when my wallet started to suffer. I think there was a low point where I ate an entire container in 36 hours (or would that be considered a high point?)
Either way, thanks for reminding me of the magic that is the hermit!
That dinner makes me want a spiralizer sooooo badly. I need to get my hands on some of those hermits, I’m pretty sure they’d last about 2 hours in my house!
Omg your dinner like so yummy!!
your #7 & 8-you copied me 🙂
kidding!
i did this yesterday and yeah, wrote those things too 🙂
the Hermits. Can you belive i have never had one?! Need to work on that 🙂
great 10 things 🙂 those make me happy too!!
apples & cinnamon is always fantastic and your dinner looks so deliciouss
xoxo
shelley
http://findinghappinessandhealth.wordpress.com
ooo, a “creamy” alfredo sauce I don’t need to take multiple lactaid pills for…I’m in! A mi me gusta…Maybe I can suggest this for our “thursday” night dinners with Rach’s home made pasta. I’m sure she won’t too much that it’s not real cheese. Fingers crossed… =)
Your dinner of soy noodles looks absolutely delish! And hey, hot chocolate is always amazing, even if you would prefer coffee. 🙂
aw pooks you the sweetest thing ever! Can I put you for number 1-10 of things that make me happy?!
let’s just run away together and eat and drink coffee and watch trash Tv and sleep in. Oh, and you can cook for me.. lord knows I’m lacking on the culinary skills front. Dealio?! great.
Lovee your list- #7, I too am a Bravo Addict- It’s something about those Real Housewives that intrigues me…
And you make those Newman’s cookies look oh so tasty! I’ll certainly be on the look out for those babies!:)
no interceptions or yellow flags when it came to your dinnah girl. unlike my mainsqueeze m. sanny who averages more interceptions then new york city cabbies your dinner looks stellar.
congrats on zee award! and welcome back to the north pole.
De-lurking at your request…that pasta looks delish. I haven’t mastered the art of making my nutritional yeast into a cheezy sauce, I usually just sprinkle it right on. Love that stuff straight up.
winter SUCKS. aint no shame in hatin’. coffee rocks, as does bravo.
so book suggestions…they arent really mentally stimulating, but absolutely hilarious–the two by chelsea handler…my horizontal life, and are you there vodka, its me chelsea.
easy reads, but i was seriously lol-ing a lot. me not like to think too much while reading for fun 😉
read ’em both and LOVED them. seriously chelsea handler rocks.
Thanks for passing the award to me! Aren’t Hermits the best? As soon as I got the Newman’s stuff, they were the first thing I attacked and I polished the container off in a day. One of the reasons I had the giveaway in the first place is so I wouldn’t have 2 more boxes in the house! They are quite addicting. 🙂
Your alfredo sauce looks really yummy too!
Ten degrees INSIDE your apartment?! PLEASE tell me you’re joking. I die in my room when it’s 62. I don’t know who these crazy people are who say that it’s best to sleep in a chilled room… I can’t sleep when it’s that cold!! Frozen toes have an odd way of keeping you awake.
<3 <3
I haven’t had a Hermit in far too long – that needs to change, stat! Like my hospital speak?! 😉
Hehe commenters make you happy! Oooh me too. I read so many blogs, and sometimes I’m like eh, what the heck, I don’t need to comment. But it really does make such a big difference in our daily lives! Just stopping by to say hi, and say that I’m still reading!
I really think I want to move to the Bay after I graduate. Let’s be neighbors.
Thanks for tagging me in this thang! I’m so awful at these because I never remember. So bad.
Also just read your latest post and I love it. Three sweet taters, three apples, humm-becue out the wazoo. Perfection.
thanks, can’t wait to try this!
Thanks for the link love!
Isn’t returning from warm place to a snowy place the pits? I went from the beach in Mexico to a blizzard in Colorado within 3 hours over Christmas – it made me want to cry.
Hang in there, stay warm!!
I always feel so lost and confused when trying to get my tired vacation self back into the groove. sounds like a nap was much needed!
I’m reading Pat Conroy’s “South of Broad” right now, and it’s really great! So descriptive and wonderfully written 🙂