Kneadful Things

Whole Foods on 2nd Ave, Just Salad.

I am head over heels in love with the new Whole Foods on second ave and houston on the LES. It's huge, bright, well-stocked, well-staffed, and best of all it has a POMMES FRITES station at the prepared foods counter. Yes, I said POMMES FRITES!! And not just pommes, but yucca and yam as well! With plenty of different sauces, such as the delicious moroccan chermoula mayo and variety of salts, like truffle or hawaiian flake salt, the combinations are endless. I have now sampled all three types of frites, and several salt/sauce combo. My favorite to date is yucca with smoked salt and chermoula mayo. WOW, how lucky are we? LOVE IT!!! Not to mention, the sushiya bar, italian restaurant, salad stand, and cappucino bar upstairs, and il labrotorio del gelato and chocolateria downstairs. I am a happy gal. Proving once again, freedom *cough*french*fries can lead to happy thoughts inside clouds of canola oil. You'll have to pardon me, I have deep fried brain. (But I worked it off, no lazybugging it and getting out of the cab to eat the fries to get back in the cab to go lie in bed.)

a little bit of my take.

Another place I have found that I love is Just Salad on 37th street in Midtown.  With so many choices and such great prices, you can't go wrong. I am completely addicted.  Also, they are very eco-conscience, encouraging you to reuse your bowls by offering two free toppings every time you bring your brightly colored bowl back with you. (I admit though, I am forever finding more and more uses for these great bowls at home!) Hey, at least I am repurposing them.  If I can't have bread, I am going to have PLENTY of other foods. Which reminds me, I have some peeps to microwave. (they explode and get chewy, not unlike those pesky subway rats......just kidding)

Babycakes take 2, I love Erin McKenna, State of the union.

Today I went back to Babycakes (Unfortunately they are closed on Monday, but hey, everyone needs a day off, even baking maven Erin McKenna. Since I am STILL trying to gain weight, I had a cupcake with lunch and 2 count em' TWO cookies after dinner. The chocolate spelt (Not wheat, so not so bad for me) cupcake was just what the doctor ordered today. Tim had to work some INSANE case all night so I was all by my lonesome. I ate the cupcake with a little cup of joe and it was heaven.  Later, I had the cookies with my favorite combo (Don't get grossed out) Orange Juice. I know, it sounds weird, but think of the chocolate covered orange rind, or the citrus flavored ganache at Jacques Torres, they just like each other. This is a fact I learned early on drinking OJ and eating chocolate pop tarts, much to the chagrin of my grandmother. I still don't understand how pop tarts are even close to being recognizable as an appropriate breakfast food for elementary students. I would have more pictures from the fantastic babycakes, but the batteries in my camera were kaput.

So I would just like to say that I am so grateful for Erin McKenna, whose own personal struggle with food allergies/complications led her to open such a wonderful establishment. I am sure that the countless children with food allergies are even more thankful for the chance to feel like normal kids indulging in something as simple as a cupcake, normally off limits to them. I truly hope she is planning on writing a cookbook soon. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

On another note, how wonderful was it to hear President Bush address "Madame Speaker" tonight? It sent chills down my spine. For all the women of that generation, my mother, my aunts, what an accomplishment. The ERA might have gone away, but the power remains. It may have taken 30 years since the beginning of the movement, but greatness takes time.  So this is for all of the women who took charge and demanded equality, the fight may not be over yet, but Thank You. Thank You from all of the women in my generation that have choices you never had. Thank You. You paved the way for us and raised us from babes. You made this country, and make this country better.  So to my aunt Liz, thank you for standing up for a women's rights even though it's hardly ever easy. To my aunt Vicki, thank you for teaching me that you can be strong and commanding but still be feminine and lovely. And to my Mom, Thank you for teaching me that the right choice may be the hardest choice, but you will be better for it. Your work ethic is incredible and I hope I will make you proud one day.

You look thin! Eat Something!

Note: I am trying to have a baby....crazy? SURE! Did I ever think I would want kids this young? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! But I do. So here I am at my doctors office....asking questions.

Me: "Why am I not pregnant yet?"

WASP BUT COULD BE A JEWISH MOTHER DOCTOR: "You're looking pretty thin, you may need to increase your calories"

Me: "Say again, kemosabe?"

Doctor: "You look thin, eat something"

Me: "My body fat can't be that low"

Doctor: "How many miles do you clock in a day?"

Me: (Sheepishly) "Well, I try to do 5, nine minute miles, 5 times a week, and 3 times a week I weight train for an hour"

Doctor: "Um, yeah, your body fat is reading at under 10%, that's a little psychotic. (My doctor is young and cool, and if she weren't my doctor, I would invite her to brunch) You need to lay off the workouts and gain about 5-7 lbs of fat if you want to get pregnant"

Me: "Are you freakin serious? I live for my workouts!"

Doctor: "I see that you might have a bit of a control and routine issue, were you ever in the service?"

Me: "Nah, they don't accept us deaf folks. But control and routine keep me from going all ADD"

Doctor: "Yeah, um, take a nap, and a few weeks off, Have a tahini and peanut butter on seeded whole grain, you know, 4 or 5 times in a day" (The punk laughs here)

Me: Basically I just harumphed and left at this point.

I can't stand being away from the gym for this long, almost two weeks now. And the eating tons more food, seems like a chore. 7 lbs in two weeks for someone with my lean:fat ratio, is downright nutty. I'll let you know how it goes.

The Pump Energy Food

Do not let the picture fool you, these pancakes weren't delicious. Filling? Yes. High in crazy amounts of designer protein? Yes. Dry? Definitely. Which brings me to the conclusion that where I had these pancakes, The Pump Energy Food, needs to get out of the eighties and add fat to food. Fat isn't necessarily bad, and it adds much needed moisture and flavor to foods. These whole grain-fat free protein pancakes were dry and boring. Don't get Pump confused with Energy Kitchen, whose food tends to be very tasty. Not to mention the fact that I found the Pump to be overpriced and over-hyped. My husband's egg white omelet and potatoes were dry and flavorless, the best part about our meal? The store bought toasted pita they served with Tim's breakfast. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but that's what I thought. Who knows, maybe their smoothies are better. (But still overpriced.)

Just a little note....today I had a sweet potato muffin from a booth called "Body and Soul" in Union Square's greenmarket today, and it was SOOO good. And it's official....just two weeks until the honeycrisp apple harvest!! And this is the last week for ginger golds, so GET THEM WHILE THEY'RE RIPE!

Keepin' it Local at the Union Square Greenmarket.

NYC is a great city for so many reasons, one of my favorite reasons is our system of greenmarkets. I am often found wandering the Union Square or Prospect Park greenmarket in search of the freshest produce and friendliest farmers. These places give you wonderful access to the people that GROW your food. They can answer questions, give you tips on preparation, and give you the inside scoop on what produce is best that day. Produce isn't the only thing at greenmarkets, though. You can also find farm fresh eggs, milk, cheeses, meats, jams, and baked goods. Because you aren't buying at a big box store, the freshness is superb and the price is often better. (Not to mention the fact that you can often sample the goods prior to purchase.) This week? HOLY COW the peaches were like candy, and the tomatoes were like juicy little red jewels. (My salad last night had the tomatoes on it and man, you didn't even need dressing!) So, if you are feeling a little "over processed" or "on an msg high" head over to the greenmarket for a much needed detox.

My little healthy secret....Revealed! Eva's and Ikea Cookie/Crackers

There are a few selected places in my arsenal that I can always visit for reliable, healthy food/snacks. The first is Eva's in the Washington Square area, and the other is a seemingly strange pick, IKEA.

Eva's is a healthy, "Fast Food/Health Food" quick service restaurant on 8th st. All with an eye toward value, this place offers healthful meals such as lentil soup over brown rice and grilled marinated tofu over mixed vegetables. My favorite meal? The nature burger combo with lentil soup and juice. The veggie burger is moist and flavorful, stuffed into a pita with tons of vegetables, and dressed with a vinaigrette. The lentil soup is thick and rich, yet still healthfully full of fiber, and the juice is nice and pulpy. (This dish offers a TON of protein and fiber, to keep you full for the long haul, and at $7.50 cheap enough to eat often.) If more Americans fed their kids food like this, you wouldn't have ALL THREE major network morning shows this week featuring three separate series on childhood obesity and lazy kids.

Ya see all those veggies?

My second place is Ikea. I know what you are thinking...."Ikea...what the heck?" But Ikea has a food store that offers lots of goodies like smoked herring and frozen herbed salmon, (Just ditch the butter sauce). My favorite offering there are the vanilla cookie/crackers, with just 64 calories in 7 cookies, they are a tasty treat all by themselves, or equally great crunched up in yogurt or dipped in your morning milk. Moral of this story? Never overlook strange places, sometimes they offer strange secrets.

On another note, as a formerly unhealthy person/child, I am acutely aware of what happens when bad eating habits begin early on. I know I am not alone in this. I know that I am not the first person to wake up one day and be in denial about what I am eating and how it is affecting me. I know that there are parents out there that think that their children are Teflon-coated toward obesity.

The reports are in, no one is Teflon coated toward obesity. Even babies are getting fat. MSNBC has a great article from the associated press talking about the increase in numbers of overweight SIX MONTH OLDS! Yes, I am not kidding. If your child is in the 95% percentile or above, the CDC says your child is at a greater risk of becoming an overweight/obese adult. Or if one or both parents are overweight; or the mother is overweight while pregnant, that risk shoots up again.

Not to mention my biggest pet peeve, kids watching TV. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO TV for children under two and ONE HOUR ONLY for children over two. Not only does it increase risk for ADD, it sets in their brain a sedentary lifestyle that is hard to break out of. Kids need to move. I was a Sesame Street and tortilla chip addict as a child and I paid the price. The AAP recommends that only about 2% of children's food should be fried, and that they should never have trans fat. (Sorry Oreo) Seeing as how most toddlers/small children only need about 1300 calories a day, that is only about 182 calories A WEEK from fried food. That is approximately the equivalent of one small order of fries. (A WEEK, PEOPLE!) I know this isn't a very fun post, but I read A TON of blogs, and I know what people are feeding their kids, and it is frightening. If I hear the "But it's trans fat free" excuse one more time, I am going to faint. IT'S STILL FRIED!! There is still a significant amount of saturated fat/sodium. If you lay the groundwork for unhealthy eating at such a young age, how do you expect them to make the right choices as they get older? The simple answer? They probably won't. They have proved it. Heck, I proved it. Did I form this affinity for healthy food as a kid? Heck NO! I was a mcnugget meal and milkshake type of kid. (Now we have something even worse, chicken fries! More saturated fat than meat by volume....nice) I had to hit rock bottom health wise to straighten up, and I don't want others to follow in my footsteps.

On a lighter note, last week my friend Jenn, turned 30. Happy Birthday, Jenn. She had a very nice party at the Divine Bar, full of laughter and friends.  Here's to many more happy birthdays.

I couldn't tell I took an "eye closed" pic at the bar, it was too dark to see my LCD screen. I promise i will post a new Devonn/Jenn pic soon.

The Vegetarian Palate....and He is Bill Jones

Tim isn't a vegetarian. Tim loves steak, chicken, fish, basically anything that formerly had a central nervous system and mating rituals. But Tim also loves me, and will try anything for me. So I took him to The Vegetarian Palate in Brooklyn. He was immediately relaxed when he realized the owners were southern Chinese and probably wouldn't expect him to eat anything like alfalfa sprout wrapped seitan jerky.

So we started with Tofu rolls that were dressed in mock oyster sauce. Tim really liked them, I, on the other hand thought they were a little bland. The bean curd skin that enrobed the tofu and, yes, bean sprouts, could have been enhanced by something, maybe chilies. Our entrees on the other hand were much better.

Our entrees were simple, affordable, and tasty. I know that a lot of vegetarians have issues with "mock meat" but sometimes, they can be pretty tasty. (And often the only available option) Tim ordered the "beef" and pan-fried noodles, and I had the grilled "turkey" sandwich. Tim was surprised at how much he liked the dish, and how comparable it was to traditional beef with pan-fried noodles. I tasted it myself, and not being a fan of pan-fried noodles, I would say it was "okay". He was much more enthusiastic.  He loves water chestnuts, and this dish was full of them, so he was pleased.

I had the grilled textured vegetable protein sandwich with, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, and mustard vinaigrette. It turns out the order is two sandwiches, not one. That was nice because I was able to take one home. I won't lie to you and tell you that it tasted "just like turkey" but I will tell you that it was very tasty, and filling. We will definitely go back and try more dishes.

Today, I received an email from Bill Jones. Apparently, he is the creator of my much loved sweet potato cupcakes at Jive Turkey. He calls them "Southern Comfort" cupcakes, which makes me think of whiskey, but okay. His company "I am Bill Jones Epicure Delights" creates a whole line of cupcakes, cakes, cheesecakes, and cookies. I intend upon ordering dozens of these fantastic cupcakes to be shared with my friends.  Man, I love a good cupcake, and this guy makes good cupcakes.

But not everyday.

Grand Central Market, Uncle Moe's

I think my mother wrote this sign.

(By the way, while I am typing this, I am watching "Final Destination 3" , so far, no good.)

Today, was a "Bill Evans is always wrong about the weather" day. He called for "sporadic bursts of rain with a possible thunderstorm mixed in." Not "Noah-esque, end of the world, God is taking a shower on NYC" type of rain. The day started out nice enough, so I skedaddled up the 4 to Grand Central Terminal and into the Grand Central Market.

 

This is an odd sort of place, with about 12 vendors. At the market, there is everything from Murray's cheese to Wild Edibles Fish Market to Ciao Bello Gelato, not to mention all the produce vendors with their individually portioned wares.

So after I got back to Brooklyn, the water flooded in faster than women into Barney's Semi Annual. So, in order to avoid washing away, I scrapped my exciting dinner plans of Fairway Market's ready-to-eat baked tofu, and ran into a favorite Bk taqueria, Uncle Moe's. Tim and I both ordered the Watsonville, mine with spinach, peppers, and onions, Tim's with chicken and corn. They are very big and filling, stuffed with rice and red beans, lots of vegetables, pico de gallo, and low-fat yogurt. We like them a bunch.

Thankfully, the rain slowed, and we were able to swim to shore.  Maybe, just maybe, this weekend will be better. Just don't take Bill Evan's word for it.

How to stay fit, Harbor Fitness, Second Helpings, Mr Falafel

How do I stay healthy and fit? Very simply, I eat a variety of nutritious foods, drink lots of water and tea, brush and floss regularly, (don't laugh, oral bacteria and gum disease can make you ill) I work out regularly (5 days a week, alternating cardio and cardio with weight training) I go to church and meditate, spend as much quality time with my husband as humanly possible (good mental health is just as important as physical health) And I steer clear of crazy chemicals. (Poly Occi-what? Do I really want to eat something I need a formula to break down?) I am also lucky enough to live close to a great health club, Harbor Fitness. I can't rave enough about this gym, the employees are great, and they are totally people you could hang out with outside of the gym. They have a great juice/smoothie bar, and no one is trying to cram tons of supplements down your throat.  Do I wish they had a spa? Sure, but then I may never leave....too bad for them. 

Luckily, I live in an area with a GREAT gym,

Very near my gym in Park Slope, there are TONS of healthy options to pick from. Yesterday, I headed over to 7th avenue and meandered into "Mr Falafel" the brother of "Pita Pan" I had one of my favorite meals, hummus, olives, pita, and salad. Their hummus is slightly more "olive oily" than Pita Pans, which makes it seem more rich. The salad and pita are just as yummy and filling. On another note, just one hummus platter order will either feed 2 people or make 2 meals for one person. They definitely don't skimp on the portions.

A LOT of food!

Tonight after working out, I went to 9th street and on to Second Helpings. They have a huge variety of healthy, all natural options. They have lots of freshly made sandwiches, salads, and wraps to choose from, along with a well stocked cold case with many more entree choices. I have also found that they are extremely accommodating, and will work with you to meet your dietary needs. Tonight, I ordered the grilled vegetable wrap in whole wheat lavash with goat cheese and pesto on the side. (So my sammy didn't get soggy on the way home) The wrap is served with spicy cumin trans-fat free chips, which my husband will surely make disappear later. The wrap is filled with zucchini, portabella mushrooms, onions, arugula, and your choice of either goat cheese or white bean spread. I find that the sharpness of the goat cheese goes great with the peppery arugula and tender vegetables. Though you might think that the lavash would make it heavy, it doesn't. Though this wrap is enough for two people.

Just remember, healthy living doesn't have to be unfulfilling and boring. When you take care of yourself, you feel better about yourself. And it shows to others. Eating healthy and Exercising is loving yourself, and you know the old adage "you can't love others until you learn to love yourself".