Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese

Hi There!

As all of you (assuming) know, New York was hit very hard by Sandy. I hope all of you are safe and unharmed after the storm.

The night that the storm hit really hard, Monday, I was down at BF's place in the East Village. Very scary stuff. The power and water were knocked out. There were trees down everywhere and just a block or so away cars that were parked on the street were flooded. I feel terrible for the small businesses and residents that were hit badly... :(
Luckily, we were able to make our way to the Upper East Side to my place to find power + glorious hot water. My office has been closed this week as it is  down in SoHo where the damage is severe. The past few days BF and I have been attempting to work remotely, drinking wine and watching tv. Fun stuff.

In lighter news, I have been meaning to post this dish for a while. Mac n cheese is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. Luckily, I found a lighter recipe that uses butternut squash to cut out the majority of  fatness. I copied it based on what I had and pure guess work - so no measurements will be listed below haha.

Here is what I used (sorry for the lack of measurements):

- Fresh Sage
- 1 butternut squash
- shell pasta
- vegetable broth
- garlic
- skim milk
- whole wheat crackers
- sharp Parmesan cheese

Step 1 – Cook the bag of pasta so it is al dente or with a bit of a bite to it. Set aside.

Step 2 - Peel & chop butternut squash. Maybe I have been doing this wrong all my life, but this is really, really hard. Any tips?

Step 3 – In a big pot, heat onion, garlic and butternut squash in olive oil over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are sort of clear. Add vegetable broth and sage sprigs. Cook for about 20 minutes, add milk.

Step 4 - Cook until squash is tender. Let the pot cool until you can put your hand in it & not burn yourself. Have fun testing it! I burnt myself at least twice.

Step 5 - Blend butternut squash mixture in your food processor and add to pasta in a large baking dish. 

Step 6 - Top with a handful of crush crackers + a bit of cheese. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes.

Step 6 - Eat.

Again, I hope all of you are safe and dry after the storm. Sandy turned out to be a huge bitch and will not be forgotten - my thoughts go out to all who are still dealing with the aftermath. So thankful to be okay

ttfn.

Pot o Gold

Hi!

Happy Monday! Last night I made a big pot of vegetarian chili for this week's work lunches. 

What was in it?

• pinto beans
• chick peas
• black beans
• crushed tomatoes
• marinara sauce
• hot sauce (lots)
• chili powder
• garlic salt
• salt & pepper
• yellow onion
• green peppers
• orange peppers
• corn kernels 
• olive oil
• garlic

 I threw it all in my giant-est pot for about 2 hours.

 Et voila! It was really good!

This is a great way to spread your grocery money over a week! Summertime makes me a very broke girl (with all of the excessive going out and whatnot), therefore healthy, cheap meals are a must. 

 Yesterday I decided to take a Total Body Conditioning class but before leaving my apartment at 5:30, I decided to drink a little 5 hour energy. Big mistake! The whole class I was dizzy and had too much energyyyyyyyy.  THEN I couldn't fall asleep until almost 2am. Blech never again. I felt like this:

If you've never watched this, you're welcome. Kenyans!

Anyhoo, I decided to take pilates at lunch today and it was fantastic. My whole body feels like it worked today. Tomorrow is Vinyasa yoga with my favorite teacher at NYSC. He's so cool :)

Have you tried taking energy drinks / supplements before a workout? 

Do you make big batches to stretch out your $?

I'm off to bed. Nighty night!

Springing Springity Spring Sprang

Hi There

Happy Wednesday :)

The weather in New York is getting better and better.  We didn't have a real winter (not a problem) and spring is here early! Today is was so warm that all of the patios were full at all the restaurants near my apartment - loved it. 

I stopped by a local produce stand near my place and picked up some goodies. I grabbed 2 boxes of strawberries, 3 red peppers, an avocado, and a bag of romaine  for $7. 

I threw together a little platter for dinner with strawberries, avocado with hot sauce and red peppers to dip in the greatest hummus on earth.

Ridiculously garlicy

To keep my healthy lifestyle "balanced", I poured myself a hefty glass of wine. After a long day at work I absolutely needed this.

It felt good to have a totally raw dinner. I rarely find myself eating entirely raw meals but it definitely left me feeling fresh and healthy :) In an effort to get ready for bikini season, I need eat this type of meal more often!

Today was I crazy busy at work. I've started my new role and it is pretty intense. I really like what I'm doing BUT it is totally different than my previous role. Let's just say it's a steep learning curve and I could use a corporate jet pack to get to the top. I have a lot to learn about being in sales: being bold, aggressive and extroverted is not totally natural for me. Day by day!

How do you get through a steep learning curve? 

What are your favorite raw dinners?

For your Wednesday enjoyment, a photo of Eloise on my messy table.

New things!

Hi There!

I've been MIA lately - super busy at work with my new position and having lots of fun on the weekend :)

I thought I'd share a few great new things I've discovered lately (and 1 not so great item!)

1) Gardein Lightly Seasoned Chick'n Scallopini - This 5 pack is a great go-to when I need to throw together a quick lunch for work. Since they're not heavily seasoned, they taste good with pretty much any type of sauce + veggies. They cook up in about 5 minutes and keep me full through the afternoon. At 90 calories, these are a great addition to my Get Skinnier in 2012  plan. Check them out! 

 

2) Citarella Puttanesca Sauce (literally, "whore's style" spaghetti sauce source, teehee) - This rich tasting pasta sauce comes from my local Citarella grocery store. I love going in there; everything is so fresh and has a homemade feel. This sauce is made of whole tomatoes, black olives, canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, anchovies, fresh garlic, sea salt, fresh basil and spices. Puttanesca sauce is so good, I don't even mind that it's a bit sluttly.

3) Yogi tea -  I go through phases of drinking up to 6 cups of tea a day and phases where I drink zero. Yogi has a wide selection of interesting blends that I decided to try. I bought a cold prevention pack and a box of stress relief. Although some of them taste a little funky, I believe in the placebo effect of their claims. Even if they don't do what they say, at least I'm staying hydrated.  Before buying these, I had only ever tried their "Smooth Move" herbal *ahem* digestive tea while doing a cleanse. It works pretty well (teehee again)

 

Now for something I wasn't so thrilled about...

4) Marinated Coconut Curry Tempeh - Maybe I didn't cook these properly? Maybe I just don't like tempeh? Or maybe, or likely, they suck. They tasted terrible. Don't buy these. Just don't.

 

Have you tried any of these products? What about tempeh? Did you like it?

I went to pilates today and it was just as tough as I remembered. Tomorrow I'll either do some cardio or perhaps a bit of yoga. I have been getting into the groove of making exercise a priority. Having the vacation (and daunting idea of being seen in my bikini by coworkers....:S) has really made me stick to my promises to myself. I have been cutting carbs during the week and working out extra hard as often as possible. On the weekends, I still do what I want ie) drink beer / eat pizza / stay up late, but I think I'm making moves in the right direction!

Happy Monday!

Spring is in the air :)

Thanks so much for your 'kicking it into gear' tips - I really appreciate the advice :)

Although it's rainy & gloomy in New York today, I noticed something exciting on my way to the subway:

Flowers are coming!

Soul Cycle was just as I expected it to be - extra intense. I had a new instructor named Matt and he wasn't messing around. Needless to say, I'm a little sore today. Maybe a little yoga is in order this evening.

Whats the weather like where you are? Any other words of advice for my bikini body goals?

Trip to Cape Coral, FL & Stepping it up

Not too long ago, I was lucky enough to visit my aunt and uncle at their winter home in Florida.

 This was a well needed escape from the gloomy New York weather. It has been pretty warm here lately so I'd like to think that I brought the sunshine with me :)

Stone crab, fries with malt vinegar and coleslaw - amazeeeeeey

pretty view crossing the bridge to Fort Myers

their pretty pool. i spent the majority of my time here :)

 If you live somewhere warm, you should know that I am very jealous. I grew up in Canada and now I live in New York BUT I do not like the winter weather. Le sigh*

I recently found out I'll be going on a company trip to the Dominican Republic in May. That's right - I'll be in my bathing suit in front of co-workers. This gives me a tremendous amount of anxiety. Needless to say, I've been upping my exercise regime and trying to cut calories and carbs as much as I can. Here is what I've been doing lately to kick things off:

• Friday 2/24 - the hardest pilates class I have ever taken.
• Saturday 2/25 - walked 38 blocks and stayed in (aka, didn't drink)
• Monday 2/27 - the 2nd hardest pilates class I have ever taken
• Tuesday 2/28 - Astanga Yoga with many sun salutations and muchos warrior series
• Tomorrow, 2/29 - Soulcycle spinning in Tribeca. Have you done this? It's like spinning on crack. Can't wait :)

Any tips for kicking it (your body) into gear for a deadline?

My potential new best friend

Look what arrived yesterday!

 After trying out my very first juice cleanse last week and watching Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead I decided that I needed a juicer. I want to be able to make my own juice cleanses at home, saving myself the upwards of $200 for some branded cleanses. (like Blueprint, Cooler Cleanse, Organic Avenue etc)

I haven’t quite decided my approach yet, but so far I’m thinking juice for breakfast & the occasional dinner sounds doable. Any recommendations?

Tonight I might try out a green juice tonight! Can you recommend any combos?

Thanks Amazon!
I'll let you know how it works out - for now check it out on amazon.com where you can buy one too :)

4 Day Juice Cleanse Wrap Up

 Last week I did a 4 day cleanse using Simplifast’s Juice Diet Shots. 

If you’re just joining me, check out my posts about each day:

Never say never... Juice Cleanse: Day 1.

Juice Cleanse: Day 2 
Juice Cleanse: Day 3 & SJP  

Juice Cleanse: Day 4

Initially, I had agreed to do a cleanse with a couple girls from the office. I had a hard time believing that I could actually stick to it – I was really scared that I would fall off the wagon half way through! By the end of the cleanse, I felt like I could keep going because I wasn’t hungry and I genuinely felt better overall.

My best advice to you if you’re considering doing a cleanse: Easing off of a cleanse is important. The night I finished the cleanse, I had a piece of pizza and a few drinks. I got so sick, never ever do that! The day after the cleanse, I started the day with a juice (I actually woke up craving one!), then later had some fruit, veggies and soup. I found that I got full really quickly.

Even 3 days after I finished the cleanse, I notice my appetite isn’t as out of control as it was after the holidays. I have lost a few pounds and I hope they stay off. This week I am planning to stick to a plant based diet with the occasional protein thrown in there. For example, this morning I had  2 kiwis for breakfast, a big salad for lunch with tofu and some cherry tomatoes & cucumber slices for an afternoon snack. I’d also like to only have 1 cup of coffee today as I found I didn’t need it like I thought I did – I just missed the taste & experience of a good cup of coffee.

To find out more about Simplifast, check out their site http://www.simplifast.com/ I recommend ordering on Amazon or waiting for a deal site to feature the products for a lower price!

I am interested in doing another cleanse the last week of January. Do you have any recommendations?

Juice Cleanse: Day 4

I did it!

If you're just joining me:

Never say never... Juice Cleanse: Day 1.

Juice Cleanse: Day 2 
Juice Cleanse: Day 3 & SJP  

Day 4 flew by & was much easier than the days prior. At lunch I broke and had an orange, but I was glad that I did. Surprisingly, food was the last thing I wanted.

On Friday night I went to the rodeo at Madison Square Garden. Tickets were only $15 and I thought, why wouldn't I go see buckin broncos and angry bulls in the city?!  You can read all about the event in this press release http://www.pbr.com/en/news/press-releases/2011/12/the-worlds-best-bull-riders-return-to-new-york.aspx 

go Canada!

 I made a bad decision and ended up drinking after not eating anything for 4 days - great idea genius! At the end of the night I drunkingly ate a piece of pizza and got sick about 5 minutes after. Choices Caitlin, choices. One day I'll learn ;)

Energy Level – About a 8 out of 10.

Exercise – Only lifting the beer cup up to my mouth at the end of the day.

Sleep – Wonderful.

Feeling – Like "yay I did it" and "i really shouldn't have drank after". Now that I know that a cleanse is not impossible I think I will totally do another one perhaps at the end of the month before I go to Europe (woohoO!) Glad I still have a few bottles of Simplifast left over. I had one Saturday morning and actually enjoyed it.

Tomorrow I"ll write a bit about my struggles getting back to eating solid food. 

Juice Cleanse: Day 3 & SJP

If you're just joining me, find out a bit about day 1 and 2-

Never say never... Juice Cleanse: Day 1.

Juice Cleanse: Day 2

Day 3 was kind of roller coaster of emotions. At moments I felt amazing, my whole body tingled and I felt a bit high. Other times, I was cranky, hot, enraged, hungry and overall, a vile human being.

Last night I decided to try some cherry tomatoes and chopped cucumber to cap off my successful day of only drinking 4 Simplifast shots and a bit of no sodium, fat free vegetable broth. Boy oh boy, did I regret it. 20 minutes after eating I had stomach pains and I felt dizzy. My body was not happy about the introduction of food! I’m worried about the reintroduction of solid food after that. I might try again tonight. In good news, I feel like I have lost a few pounds. My collar bone is more pronounced and my jeans feel loose. Hopefully I can maintain this!

Energy Level – Back and forth between normal and exhausted.  

Exercise – Please, I got winded just walking from the 7 train to the 6 on the way home.

Sleep – Pretty good, I had a bit of trouble falling asleep. My tummy was crazy!

Feeling – Accomplished. I didn’t think I could stick to a cleanse, and today is the last day! Woohoo!

I also wanted to share some fabulous SJP & Ferris Bueller pics from Vogue. Meeting SJP has been one of my most memorable moments of living in NYC so far. I actually cried (note this was during a boozy brunch in the West Village). She is just so cool.

Check it out! - full article here http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/sarah-jessica-parker-show-and-tell/

 Later!