Still expanded

February 14, 2009February 6, 201511 Comments

Well, the gluttony certainly knows no bounds.

Kate and I went out to spend the afternoon with Gina in her ‘hood. We started admirably with a five-mile run — six arduous and windy loops around Marine Park: 55 minutes, 454 calories, 151 average heart rate, 179 max. When we got back to Gina’s house, her husband Chris surprised her with a dozen roses and TWO boxes of JoMart chocolates which we ALL attacked immediately (thanks, Chris!).

Specialty chocolates:

I think I had at least one of each kind. I remember a 2-layer hazelnut square, dark chocolate-covered oreo, marshmalow-filled coffee bean truffle, chocolate-filled dark chocolate truffle, peanut butter cup, and there were probably more.

Oh, and this butterfingery peanut butter puff was the best one:

Box #2 was full of broken chunks of dark and milk chocolate. The dark chocolate tasted just like cocoa, sooooooo good. I ate several (fyi, whenever I use the term “several,” I mean at least seven) pieces because I was on a roll.

And then we began preparations for our actual Valentine meal (because the chocolate wasn’t it, in case you were wondering).

Gina worked on the waffles until she made a mess:

Chris had to take over:

Meanwhile, Gina’s ice cream maker had been sitting on her counter right where Kate and I left it last time we were there! The “ice cream” mix I prepared this morning and brought over included … well, what didn’t it include?

There was nonfat cottage cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt, cranberries, apple, banana, apple butter, strawberries, valentine m&ms that Deborah gave me at work yesterday, crumbled bits of chocolate-covered pretzel from my blogger secret cupid, shredded coconut, vanilla, dates, and maybe more? Kate brilliantly brought along some mini red velvet cupcakes that she had frozen after her dinner party a while back, so we crumbled those into the mix, too. The end result was some amazingly delicious and rich “strawberry cheesecake ice cream”!

Here’s my first plate, topped with banana, more chocolate chunks, and crumbled hazelnut thins that Gina brought home from her trip to the London Harrod’s last fall:

Here’s my second plate:

My camera didn’t make it to the third plate in time. Well, the food didn’t actually make it to the plate before I inhaled it, either. But it looked something like this:

I wasn’t actually hungry for any of this, by the way. But it tasted good, and I couldn’t stop!

Then we broke into the giant chocolate heart brownie that Chris’ mom made:

With our bites:

I had seconds of the brownie, too .

When I got home, I did a serious reorganization of the contents of the fridge, freezer, cabinets, and pantry. It’s hard to keep track of stuff when you live with two other people! This was a very stressful process, and I have to admit that I continued to snack on too much of too many unhealthy things while I worked (the binge finally ended when I sat down with a piece of pumpkin kibbi and then brushed my teeth). I discovered that Brigitte actually had SEVEN boxes of white rice, three of which were open and the SAME brand. I did a lot of consolidating, and I am happy to say that everything is now accessible! We’ll see how long it stays this way …

So anyway, I feel ill from all of the junk I’ve been downing nonstop this week, and I’m so excited to feel better tomorrow and return to a life of balanced nutrition! I finally got around to dyeing my hair tonight, and everyone knows that fresh color is the ideal setting for a fresh start :-D. See you on the other side!

Ohhhh, the expansion!

February 13, 2009February 6, 20153 Comments

Just because I try to keep my belly expansion to a minimum doesn’t mean I always succeed!

The day started out innocently enough with Mildred, the office Cupid, coming around and handing out Hershey’s Kisses. (I responsibly dropped my kisses into the empty tissue box on my desk where I “hide” things like this from myself.) Here she is (on the right) with Belkis and Jennifer:

When Vianni arrived in her gold boots, however, I knew things were about to get out of hand:

The festivities for the day included a secret office valentine gift swap. Jennifer was my Cupid and got these adorable socks for me. I can’t wait to wear them tomorrow!

Our big Valen-dining lunch feast began at 12:30. We each had the option to contribute $5 to ordering food from Caridad or to make and bring something. Obviously I made something — I can’t afford $5 for lunch!

Here’s the pretty table decor, complete with festively wrapped apples as party favors:

(I took two of those apples home :-)).

And here’s the food vanishing …

… onto my BIG plate:

This plate included maduros (my favorite!!!!) and tostones:

Grilled steak, onions, and veggies:

Chicken:

And beans:

I had more veggies and beans.

And I also had lots of dessert (duh). My first (small but full) plate included a slice of Orange Cranberry Dark Chocolate Heart Tart (all of which got eaten except for two crumbly pieces that I brought home!), a chocolate-covered strawberry, three Italian cookies, an extra piece of tart crust (the crust tasted like some sort of amazing dark dark chocolate butterscotch toffee), and a big scoop of Baskin-Robbins Gold Medal Ribbon ice cream:

Plate #2:

#3:

And I decided I might as well finish the ice cream carton:

And keep snacking on cookies for the rest of the afternoon:

With peanut butter:

And tea:

It’s pretty safe to assume that I ate about four times as many cookies as pictured (and I also brought three more giant ones home for my freezer stash).

When I got home, I had even more sugar excitement waiting for me! My prize for winning BSI: Spinach had arrived from Brandi, wrapped like the treasure it was:

That’s right, my truffles from The Chocolate Spike are here!

dark chocolate pomegranate

sassy mango-lime: dark chocolate blended with mango, lemon peel, ginger, and lime oil then dipped in dark chocolate

aztec gold: bittersweet chocolate, chipotle chili, cinnamon, orange and lemon peel dipped in bittersweet chocolate

dark chocolate-dipped orange

I wanted to dive into this goldmine the second I opened it, but I decided to wait until I sober up from all the sugar I’ve already consumed today. The treats are currently resting/hiding safely in my freezer until I am able to appreciate them in the way they deserve!

In the meantime, however, I snacked on several things I did not need — pita chips, cookie crumbs, other items that are hiding in the freezer, etc. — while I was puttering around in the kitchen. I also made a new centerpiece for my table. My coworker Nitza received this beautiful rose from a parent today:

She’s going out of town, so she gave the rose to me for safe-keeping. I combined it with the conversation hearts I received yesterday from my blogger secret cupid:

The full effect:

I’m still stuffed to the gills, so I’m blogging in bed with a mug of gingerbread spice tea, my cupcake t-shirt (designed by a little girl from the nursery school where I worked last year), my cupcake tattoo (designed by the tattoo guy around the corner and pinkified by my cousin Rachel), and my flannel cupcake pajama pants (a gift from my sister Emily).

I’m big on symbolism.

Anyway, I’ve got loads of plans for this long weekend, the most exciting of which (for me) is the prospect of a kitchen deep-clean and organizing-fest while the roommates are out of town! I’ve also got some single-girl Valentine’s fun lined up and plenty of homework to keep me busy.

What should we bet that Monday night I’ll still be whining, “Where did all the time go?”

Enjoy your Valentine’s day tomorrow!

Chocolate everywhere

February 12, 2009February 6, 201514 Comments

This afternoon, I received the package from my Secret Blogger Cupid … and fellow New Yorker apparently! Nicole from Another One Bites the Crust sent these fun goodies:

GIANT Lindt milk chocolate hazelnut bar, conversation hearts, and chocolate-covered pretzel

I’m most excited about this:

Some broke off during the photo shoot (whoops), so I had to eat it:

I’ve done ok on my to-do list today but not as well as I’d hoped! Where does the time go?

1. run/yoga

2. CVS/library/grocery store

3. work homework

4. grad school homework

5. hair dye

6. BSI

7. contribution to work Valentine’s lunch

8. sorting student loan confusion

While out erranding, I got some unexpected groceries! After sampling a mozzarella ball and marinated mushrooms at the gourmet market, I went to the cheap grocery store and CVS for the following:

2 library books, tp, 3 boxes of hair dye (on sale for $2.50 each!), pumpkin, vanilla, sunsweet ones (.75 off coupon), strawberries, molasses (because I used up roommate's last week!), oranges (for BSI), bear naked vanilla almond granola ($1.50 off coupon)

Total: $35. Food total only: $20!

While I worked on my BSI (keep reading for recipe), I did a bit of snacking. The hazelnut bar came at just the right time :-).

(Ummm, I had quite a bit more than pictured, but I quickly broke it up into small pieces and put it in the freezer before too much damage was done!)

Also, had to “clean up” after myself while cooking and scrape all bowls (with my tongue):

Dinner needed to be (somewhat) light. I had steamed asparagus with a bit of grated homemade cheddar:

Along with 1/3 of a wheat bagel and 1/3 of a nut and seed bagel with 1 tbsp peanut butter, a chopped date, and cinnamon:

For dessert, I had the mini-version of my BSI submission (which also happens to be my contribution for the work Valentine’s lunch tomorrow and my entry for the Quaker True Delights recipe contest): Orange-Cranberry Dark Chocolate Heart Tart:

Holy yum!! That’s right, VeggieGirl, I said it :-).

And now back to the battle for a timely bedtime! Am I the only one who feels like every night is a race against the clock?

Bed without dinner

February 11, 2009February 6, 201517 Comments

That’s right — I’ve sent myself to bed without dinner! And I’ll show you why …

I was hungry hungry the second I got to work today. I ate grapes and drank sugar cookie sleigh ride tea before the meeting at 9:30:

Mid-meeting, I couldn’t hold out any longer and had to break open the yogurt. Today’s combo included 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/3 chopped banana, 1/2 chopped apple, 1 tbsp raisins!, 2 tbsp pumpkin!, cinnamon, ginger, and 1 tbsp Kashi Golean Crunch!:

I wasn’t even hungry again yet, really. But I needed something to wake me up! It was sooooo hot in that room.

Post-meeting, I caved to a candy craving:

And another one:

And then these chewy strawberry fangs attacked my phone and I had to act fast to carry out a successful rescue:

Plus, I ate a few regular mints and a few more sugar-free mints. Ahhh, this candy habit is becoming troublesome!! I probably could have halted the trainwreck had I known what was coming later in the day …

But before sugargate #2, I had lunch. A mix of Belkis’ habichuelas, Inginia’s gandules, and Vianni’s vegetable rice:

The last 1/3 cup of my kale and date curry:

And many tastes! A bite of lentils with turkey (this was AMAAAAAAZING, bursting with flavor) that Belkis’ cousin made:

A tortilla chip from Wendy and a bite of spaghetti with meat sauce from Jessica:

And a chicken and cheese taco that Deborah’s mom made, mmmmmm!

outside

inside

I had an apple with some work pb (Jiffy) around 2:

And green beans before meeting #2 at 3:15:

And then, T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Delicious trouble, but trouble nonetheless. If you’re sensitive to photographs of ridiculous dessert, you should probably run away from the computer very fast.

In honor of a coworker’s 10th anniversary with the agency, a surprise celebration was planned to take place during the meeting. Involving this:

Again:

That is MOCHA frosting, in case you’re not an expert on this sort of thing.

Sadly, Rosalie wasn’t able to come in today, so we had to have the celebration without her!! We saved her some of this amazing cake, and I documented everything with the camera of course. I love this picture because you can literally see the cake vanishing into thin air:

I had TWO enormous pieces (I’m really not exaggerating), plus lots of frosting
that I scraped off the cardboard. I couldn’t stop. Everything about this cake was amazing. Even though it was from a bakery, it still tasted homemade. And the coffee flavor kept it from being so overbearingly sweet. And the texture, ahh!! Perfectly moist. It all went something like this:

So, for this reason, I am in bed without dinner!! One of my friends from home has been reading the blog and emailed me today to say, “You must weigh about 10 pounds! I have been following your blog, you are crazy healthy!” Kerri, this is why I do not weigh 10 pounds! (and thank goodness for that :-))

I came home and ate a very very quick palate cleanser to remind myself how wonderful healthy tastes (although that cake was so goooooooooooooooood). Two spoonfuls of pumpkin, two spoonfuls of yogurt, cinnamon, and grapes:

I felt very wholesome after that.

And then I spent a few minutes playing with a special treat that arrived today:

Yes, MY PRIZE from being one of the lucky winners of Tina’s Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt! Look at all of the goodies Tina sent:

z-bar, pria bar, trio bar, adora calcium disks (!!), $5 off Boboli coupon, Tazo teabags, Burt's Bees lip treatments, chocolates, AND candy bracelets!!

THANKS, TINA!!! This is such a variety-filled, fun package. I can’t wait to play more with all of my new treats :-).

AND, I have the day off tomorrow!!! I’m feeling so relaxed right now. My goal is 12 hours of sleep tonight. Do you think it is possible?

I’ll have to resume productivity mode as soon as I get up, but it’s nice to have a few unrushed minutes right now. Tomorrow’s agenda includes: a sweaty run (because did you see all the cake I ate?), errands to CVS and the library, preparing my contribution to our work Valentine’s lunch on Friday, figuring out what to make for this week’s BSI, work homework, grad school homework, hair dye, sorting out student loan confusion, and more! Are there even enough hours in the day?

P.S. Go visit Meghann to participate in her brilliant Gracie’s Gear giveaway!

Fiberific

February 10, 2009February 6, 201513 Comments

The bean theme continued today. Who knew it was possible to have so many beans so many different ways … all in one day?

Before the fountain of frijoles started up, however, I had my usual mid-morning snack at 10:30. I think the sugar cookie sleigh ride tea may have been flirting with my yogurt:

The yogurt included 1/2 cup yogurt (obv), 1/2 chopped apple, 1/3 chopped banana, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and 1 tbsp kashi golean crunch. Always the highlight of my morning :-).

The bean-fest began at lunchtime. Apparently, I’ve been bean-collecting lately without even realizing it! Here’s how it started:

I brought the green beans (for yesterday actually, but I didn’t get to them then). Vianni made the rice and beans top center, and I mixed in a bit of brown basmati that I brought from home today (I was thinking ahead this morning, clearly!:

The beans on the left are the beans I froze a few weeks ago when my coworker Belkis made them for me:

This is half of the portion I brought in yesterday for lunch (which I never ate). The other half is planned for tomorrow, along with the other half of the beans on the right, left over from the parents’ group with Inginia yesterday:

The item at the bottom of the plate put a temporary halt to the bean theme. Along with her beans, Vianni also brought me this deliciously seasoned meat:

Next up, I had one bite each of Myrna’s spaghetti and yucca:

And a rib that Deborah’s mom made:

A bit of sancocho that Mildred’s mom made (see the plantain and pumpkin pieces?!) and a bit of Inginia’s cabbage soup:

Plus some of Nitza’s chunky sabra hummus on pieces of the amazing Eli’s health loaf (and on a piece of lettuce):

Bean tally so far: (1) string beans, (2) Vianni’s red beans, (3) Belkis’ habichuelas, (4) Inginia’s gandules, (5) Nitza’s hummus (aka garbanzos).

Candy today was a slight improvement from yesterday. I still had 4 of my sugar-free mints, but I didn’t go as wild on the real candy jar. I had one mini chocolate lollipop, a mini tootsie roll, and a giant strawberry blowpop:

And an orange for my 4pm snack:

The beans came back en force for my dinner:

One piece of pumpkin kibbi (garbanzos again):

1/4 cup Belkis’ beans:

And 1/2 cup kale & date curry (lentils):

Phew, I think that just about covers it! Belkis’ beans were a repeat, so I consumed a total of seven different types of bean dishes today. How is that even possible?

I am home a bit earlier than expected because Gina had to reschedule the movie we were planning to see tonight, but I am thrilled about it :-). I think I will get to bed on time. Wild. Do you have a bedtime?

Don’t forget to check in with Mara at What’s for Dinner? for more info on this week’s Blogger Secret Ingredient (BSI) contest featuring oranges!

Tales of Expansion: Baby Butternut Edition

A Natural(ish) Parenting & Food Blog

Tag: snacks

Still expanded

Ohhhh, the expansion!

Chocolate everywhere

Bed without dinner

Fiberific

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