I’m back home!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Okay. I’m not really THAT excited. But I’m trying to be positive. I was home alone yesterday for only 1 hour while my mom went out to run some errands and it was SO. QUIET. I was aching for the NYC hustle and [...]]]> …but you can’t take the NYC out of the girl!

I’m back home!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Okay. I’m not really THAT excited. But I’m trying to be positive. I was home alone yesterday for only 1 hour while my mom went out to run some errands and it was SO. QUIET. I was aching for the NYC hustle and bustle that I am used to hearing so clearly through [even my closed] window every day. Even if I’m inside in NYC, I still feel like there’s so much going on all around me!

But truthfully, it’s nice to be home. Like Diana said in response to yesterday’s post, ‘there’s nothing like being close to family’.And the quiet and calm of Winnipeg can sometimes be nice. I think it will be a good change for me… for now

On my last day in New York I finally got a chance to see BF’s office

The view of the yellow cabs below

Brushing up on my commercial law knowledge

Then it was off to Gotham Comedy club for a show. And then to Blue Water Grill for my final NYC dinner.

Sipping on an amazing summer cocktail made with mango-infused rum, lychee juice, lemon juice and Riesling

We spilt the Blue Water Grill Chopped Salad with cucumber, feta cheese, tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted peppers, capers

And the Shrimp and Lobster Spring Rolls. Both were super yummy!

And we each got Jumbo Shrimp & Diver Sea Scallops with lemon-mustard vinaigrette as our entree. I’m going to have to recreate that lemon mustard sauce… it was tangy and amazinnng!
  
And then bright and early the next morning I was in a cab on the way to La Guardia, leaving the city behind.
 
A few hours later I was home…

My mom took me straight to the grocery store to get my “special food”. I was pleased to discover a new “Natural Foods” section!

The even had goat cheddar!

And goat yogurt!

When we got home I made us wraps for dinner with whole wheat tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, cheese (new goat cheese for me!), hummus and salsa!
 
Fresh and delicious.

Then I proceeded to attack a watermelon
 
It was for its own good!

And this article from today’s Winnipeg Free Press was a nice welcome home

Complete with a list of famers’ markets I can visit!!!

Also, I think I may invest in a bike. I’m not the worlds best driver, and I need SOME way to get around town without endangering others on the road! If you have any tips on buying a good bike or helmet, let me know!!!

How do you get around? By bus, car, subway, bike, on foot?

What a fun weekend!!! Here are some highlights….

We grabbed a quick bite on Friday afternoon at Clear Conscience Cafe before doing some shopping on Newbury Street.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup… perfect on a cool day. [...]]]> That pretty much sums up my Boston experience…well if you also include Shopping and Dancing!

What a fun weekend!!! Here are some highlights….

We grabbed a quick bite on Friday afternoon at Clear Conscience Cafe before doing some shopping on Newbury Street.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup… perfect on a cool day.

Afterwards we met up with Amanda’s family and some of her friends for dinner and drinks at Laurel.

Risotto galore, some fish, some fries, some mussels…and lots of laughs! 
 
 
 

And later there was a dance party, lots of singing and an unforgettable night out

In the morning we were craving eggs. So we whipped a scramble with peppers, scallions, onions and pepper jack.  
My plate with wheat bread and hot sauce on the eggs!
 
After having a lazy relaxing day we headed to Muqueca for dinner
 

It was so good.

I started off with a Brazilian Summer juice. Pineapple and Mint. I WILL be recreating this at home. And you should too.   |
For dinner there were plantains and 2 different types of Moqueca with shrimp, fish, calamari, crab and mussels.
  
  
Oh right. And there was dessert. A chocolate truffle and a Tapioca & Coconut flan. 
Um….I have no words

Today we started our morning off with Maple Oats: Oats + Almond Milk + Maple Syrup

And then we took a sweaty modern class at The Dance Complex. It was incredible. Why am I not dancing more in New York??? It’s not like there are a shortage of classes! I actually talked to Amanda about it and I think it’s because I’m nervous. I haven’t danced regularly in so long and I’m scared I’ll be bad and the other people in the class will look at me like “What is SHE doing here?”…  which is silly right? I just need to get over it and go. I always have fun when I do

We were starved afterwards and made our way to Petsi Pies!

Soup, paninis and an apple crumble pie were devoured here!

 

My panini was so good I didn’t want it to end! And of course the pie was amazing

I had such a great time and Amanda is such a good hostess, I couldn’t have asked to have better food or more fun!
Boston is such a great city. But now it’s back to another great city… 

Bye Bye Boston!

p.s. If you ever go to Boston you should definitely hit up ALL of these places. I highly recommend them!

I’m off to visit my friend Amanda for some weekend fun!

The last (and first) time I went to Boston was October 2009. Here are some pics from that visit:

Fun times at the reflecting pool.   [...]]]> BOSTON! I’m currently en route via Bolt Bus (thank you free Wi Fi!).

I’m off to visit my friend Amanda for some weekend fun!

The last (and first) time I went to Boston was October 2009. Here are some pics from that visit:

Fun times at the reflecting pool.
 
Getting some good luck from rubbing the John Harvard statue’s foot

Enjoying some J.P Licks on the bus
 
A delicious visit to Anna’s Taqueria
 

Can’t wait to see what’s in store for this weekend – we have LOTS planned!

Ever been to Boston? Any suggestions for fun things to do/ great places to eat?

What’s your favorite city in the US?

My trip up here went very smoothly. Since I had to wake up at 6:30am, I wasn’t very hungry and made myself a cup of tea and a piece of toast with AB for a small breakfast.

After getting into Chicago, I knew exactly what I wanted for “Brunch” – oatmeal. I’ve [...]]]> Greetings from Winnipeg!

My trip up here went very smoothly. Since I had to wake up at 6:30am, I wasn’t very hungry and made myself a cup of tea and a piece of toast with AB for a small breakfast.

After getting into Chicago, I knew exactly what I wanted for “Brunch” – oatmeal. I’ve wanted to try the Starbucks oatmeal, so I popped into one of the MANY Starbucks’ in the O’Hare airport and picked up a bowl of oats, which came with dried fruit and nuts, a banana and some mint tea.

Brunch on my lap!

I wasn’t feeling the dried fruit or nuts, so I sliced up the banana and went to town.

Airport Oats! They were yummy….
 

But I was definitely missing my usually scoop of nut butter. A Barney Butter packet would have come in REAL handy!

Sunday and Monday were pretty busy when I got in. I spent the day grocery shopping and playing with my 5 year old cousin Maya. Then I cooked everyone some of my veggie chili for dinner. I added in corn this time… I think it was my best chili yet!

Yesterday was the first Seder for Passover. It was at my Aunt’s. I was in charge of making potatoes and a salad, so I decided to get in some excercise before cooking and then going to dinner.

BF, who is also in town, and I decided to play some tennis! It was slightly windy out, but we ended up having tons of fun!

Ha! It is quite obvious that I am a DANCER and not a TENNIS PLAYER:)
 

But BF said I was better than he expected!
 

Okay…let’s quickly talk about the running. I decided, after my cold, to just do my long runs every week and then cross-train during the week. However, on my last long run, I injured myself. Yeah… I know. Basically I felt really stupid for injuring myself and also like a huge complainer, so I didn’t want to talk about it on the blog. My last run was 8 miles, a week ago. And I injured my hip. I was walking the next day with a limp, so I knew I couldn’t run last week, as the last thing I wanted to do was put myself out of running for good! I thought it would feel better this week, but after tennis yesterday my hip was killing me. I have NO idea what I did to it. So, my plan of attack is to stretch a lot, do strength training for my lower back and abs, and see how I feel this coming weekend. I’m running a 5k race on April 13th….so we’ll see how that goes. I pretty much feel awful and I really feel like I’m complaining and making “excuses” for not running… but this half-marathon thing is just not going my way and I don’t know what else to do! I always say that it’s SO important to listen to your body and my body is telling me something is NOT right. So I’m listening to it, as difficult as it is. I will keep you posted!

Happy Passover to those celebrating! I got my uncle to take pictures of our Seder with his FANCY camera, so those will be posted soon!

Are you celebrating Passover or Easter? Do you have a favorite Easter or Passover dish?

One of my favorite things to eat on passover is SO not healthy but is SO good. I like to call it “Matzoh Crack”. It’s matzoh baked with caramel and chocolate. MMMMM. I may try and concoct a “healthier” version for tonight’s Seder.

A day full of travelling can be pretty stressful and it is very easy for it to become an unhealthy situation. Travelling can be a breeding ground for lack of sleep, dehydration, lack of movement, stress and bad food choices.

I try my best [...]]]> I am pre-posting this as I am currently en route to Winnipeg!

A day full of travelling can be pretty stressful and it is very easy for it to become an unhealthy situation. Travelling can be a breeding ground for lack of sleep, dehydration, lack of movement, stress and bad food choices.

I try my best to stay healthy when I travel, so here are some tips I have to share with you (and please enjoy the flashback photos of when JH and I travelled to Toronto ):

1. Get Enough Sleep

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but I am a very nervous flyer. The night before a flight I usually find it difficult to fall asleep. And I like morning flights, so I usually have to wake up early. I find that exercise in the afternoon (not later), having a hot shower/bath, doing some gentle yoga and reading all help me calm my nerves and fall asleep.

2. Stay Hydrated

Because of the lack of humidity in the cabin, flying can cause dehydration. It’s a good idea to bring a (plane safe amount) of hand cream or face cream to keep your skin moisturized on the plane.  If you are a nervous flyer like I am, you may be tempted to have an alcoholic drink or two during the flight, which is not a great idea. Drinking alcohol when flying can actually cause or worsen dehydration. What you should be drinking is water and lots of it! This will keep you hydrated and help out with my next tip…

3. Move!

Since you are not moving a lot on an airplane and there is not a lot of space, there is the risk of leg cramps and even blood clots.  It may be annoying but try and get up a move around as much as you can, and are allowed to. A great way to make sure you are moving is to keep drinking water; you’ll kill two birds with one stone by staying hydrated and encouraging movement by having to get up to use the bathroom!

You can also try out some in-flight exercises.

4. Don’t Stress

Travelling can be stressful. Limit the stress by getting everything ready the night before! Make sure you’ll all packed and have all your flight information. Also, make sure your carry-on has only the allowed items, make your arrangements for getting to the airport and make/pack any snacks that you are planning to bring with you.

5. Don’t Eat Crap

Speaking of snacks, travelling gives us an opportunity to eat junk food that we normally would not. Don’t do it! If you only have a short flight, have a meal or snack beforehand and bring a small snack like nuts or a larabar with you so you’re not tempted to eat candy. If you are travelling all day, like I am today, you have a couple options. You can choose to pack all the food you will be having that day, including snacks and a meal, or you can pack a snack or two and choose wisely when you are at the airport or on the plane. I like to pack nuts, a banana or a larabar with me. Since I have to take 2 flights to get home, I usually have a few hours to wait in an airport before my second flight. Sometimes Ill pack a lunch like a salad, wrap or sandwich and some fruit, and sometimes I will check out the airport online to see if they list their restaurants and find a healthy place to eat. I am flying through Chicago today and they have a list of all the places to eat there.

I find that it’s really important for me to stay healthy when travelling because the combination of stress, lack of movement and bad food can really mess you up and that is no fun at all!

That’s all for today, I’ll see you from Winnipeg with some fun recipes for Passover!

Bon Voyage!

Are you a “healthy” traveller?

She enjoys long walks on the beach, flowers, kittens and wearing her sunglasses at night.

I visited her in Boston this weekend!

It was a little chilly and it was a little snowy (!) but we managed to have a fabulous time. I will [...]]]> Meet my friend Amanda!

She enjoys long walks on the beach, flowers, kittens and wearing her sunglasses at night.

I visited her in Boston this weekend!

It was a little chilly and it was a little snowy (!) but we managed to have a fabulous time. I will surely be going back again! 

Here are some of our adventures….

For dinner on Friday night we went to an eclectic small plates restaurant in Cambridge called Cuchi Cuchi.

It was a very popular spot that night. It was a 90 minute wait for a table! So we decided to dine at the bar. Which was just fine

We shared Scallop Ceviche (we each got a shot glass full)
 

Endive salad with blue cheese and olives, drizzled with honey.   

And some un-pictured mushroom risotto. (The picture didn’t come out so pretty)

It was all delicious! We polished our plates! (and Amanda doesn’t even like Blue cheese OR mushrooms!.. well.. I guess she does now )

And for dessert we shared this lovely fruit confection called Cornucopia.
A pizzelle cone filled with fresh fruit, fruit kissel and whipped cream

We hated it
 

Hee Hee.  No no. Actually, we were very sad when it was finished.

The next day Amanda showed me around the city. First we ventured around the Christian Science Centre and the Reflecting pool.

Diving in! (or doing some Yoga… either one)

We did a little bit of shopping on Newbury St. and then arrived at….

J.P. LICKS! YES!
 

I got a small with a scoop of Pumpkin Custard and a scoop of Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Chip:
 
Um… YUM!

J.P. Licks on the bus!
 

We then spent a bit of time walking around Harvard Sq.

Harvard!

Getting some good luck from rubbing the John Harvard statue’s foot!   

Amanda joined in the fun!
OMG so much good luck we don’t know what to do!

Enjoying the beautiful foliage:

Dinner that night was at the one and only Anna’s!

I got a grilled veggie burrito sans rice. It was SO GOOD! Just what I wanted.

And some obligatory guac on the side:

Great fuel for our night on the town!

Mmm some dark beer to wash down the burritos. Perfection!

 
(We tend to make these particular faces a lot )

We danced the night away and then we may or may not have had some AMAZING late night pizza.

We spent Sunday at Amanda’s parents house where we played with their adorable 4 kitties and were treated to some FANTASTIC home cookin’.

We had omelettes, her dad’s homemade bread, homemade potatoes, her stepmom’s homemade cookies, more bread!, delicious cheese, hot pepper jelly… it was so good!
Unfortunately silly me did not take any pics Next time!

I did get some bread to take back to NYC with me though!

That night (my last night in Boston) we made a delicious dinner at home:

Artichoke Ravioli topped with artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil,  and a little bit of tomato sauce. And a side of her dad’s homemade bread.

Yummy.
 

I had a wonderful time and will no doubt be back again to visit many times!

Thanks for having me Amanda!

Until next time Boston!

I’ve never been before! And I’m super excited to go!

I’m going there to visit my college roommate!

I’ll give you a hint:

[Source]

Haha.

Can you guess?