New Blog

Hello friends.. my new blog that I post on is www.blissfulself.tumblr.com and my food blog is www.mydailybread.tumblr.com Enjoy! :)

Crispy

I walked out of yoga tonight with a smile across my face as I breathed in the cool, crispy air. It smelled like Fall.

Regarding Anything..

Teany Time

Shared a lovely Vegan lunch with my friend Jessica this weekend.

Vegan chicken salad with Vegan cheddar cheese.

Pumpkin Teany Chino

Edamame Hummus
Greens
Sprouts
Hearts of Palm
Tomatoes
Tahini Dressing

Babycakes: Time for Fall

Iced chocolate-chip pumpkin loaf.

Party in my mouth.

Twice in one day.

Humph

I am sick again today, and I still sound like a dude. I am taking the day off work and trying my hardest to recover. Although sometimes it is nice to lay around and do absolutely nothing all day, it can get super boring after awhile. I need some positive vibes.. something to get me going.

Inspiration

"Ask. Believe. Receive."

Snow Flakes

Its not winter just yet... but this photograph gives me a warm, fuzzing feeling. It also makes me grateful to be snug and cozy in my warm apartment.

Childhood

One of my favorite things to do is reflect on memories from childhood. The other day, my friend Jessica and I were enthusiastically sharing some childhood experiences. It always makes me feel warm, happy, and very grateful that I am able to hold on to these precious thoughts. Some of my favorites:

-Riding bikes, everywhere.
-Climbing trees, I used to have a big back yard full of them.
-Playing house, dolls, and Barbies.
-Night games with the neighborhood kids.
-Game night which always featured some sort of card game.
-Camping out, in the back yard.
-Feeding the ducks at the lake.
-Filming our own renditions of music videos and SNL skits.
-Playing mermaids with my sister in our backyard pool.
-Listening to my grandpa’s stories about his life that didn’t interest me then, but I am forever thankful for now.
-Garage sale Christmas presents that my mom was so proud to have bought for so cheap.
-Arts and crafts time with my little sister.
-Dreaming a lot, and letting my imagination be all that I needed.

Bleck

I woke up today without my voice. Its a glorious, sunny day and I all I want to do is lay in bed with my nasty cold. Its these times when I wish I was at home in Indiana, just a room away from my smiling mom and a hot bowl of soup.

HahaHalloween

(via http://indexed.blogspot.com/search/label/halloween)

Dinner Party: Fall Inspired

In celebration of the beginning of Autumn, my friends and I gathered together to create a simple spread to kick off our favorite season.

The menu included a sweet potato salad with green olives, pearl onions, yellow tomatoes, fresh parsley & a variety of seasonings, as well as a whole-wheat caramelized-onion & goat cheese pizza. Of course we got Vegan goodies (Whoopie Pies) for dessert from Cake Shop.

I just had to buy a baby pumpkin for the table setting. There will be more elaborate Fall-themed dinner additions/events, coming soon! Any suggestions on where to go for apple picking?

My Daily Bread

Falafel from my favorite falafel man across the street, who knows my order by heart
Baby Spinach
French Lentils
Beets
Pistachios
Sprouts

Ooey Gooey

Perhaps one of my favorite fruits.. I love them in the morning.

I love my random friend

Kilee: CO was beautiful
Kilee: it was Elk mating season ha
me: haha elk
Kilee: what

I miss you. Come play in NYC.

Yoga Rage

As a New Yorker, I thankfully don't have to worry about Road Rage. However, every once in a blue moon, I will encounter a bit of Yoga Rage. This article clearly articulates a few Yogi annoyances. I thought the whole idea was kind of funny.

Inspiration for Today

"Center yourself and envision being enveloped in a cocoon of loving and protective light. This protective layer should allow you to consciously regulate the energy around you."

— DailyOM - Taking on the Energy of Others

Dowsers!

Yesterday the Dow dropped below 10,000 for the first time since 2004!

Debt

The national debt clock in Times Square ran out of spaces today. It cannot display the $10 trillion we now owe. The U.S. economy is 0ut of control.. and now is affecting other nations' economies. We are definitely living through something crazy.

Bitter, Sweet, Delightful

• Dark Chocolate
• Red Wine
• Black Coffee

These have really been tickling my fancy lately.

Tiny Truck

Spotted: this is awesome.

http://teaformemc.blogspot.com/2008/10/spotted.html

Way to do your research, Coxy! :)

Hobby on Hold

I used to play the violin, for about seven years. My grandpa inspired my interest in music and fine arts, and he always wanted to hear me play the beautiful violin he bought me. After he passed away, I sort of stopped playing. I would love to take this hobby back up at some point.

This picture is lovely, (via Kerbi).

Home = Where My Heart is

"The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family."

--Thomas Jefferson

Some days..

Cake Party!

Today we are celebrating two birthdays at work. The CEO decided to go a little overboard and purchased quite a spread for the festivities:

Black & White Cookies
Carrot Cake
Chocolate Cake
Fudge Brownies
Double-stuffed cookie cake
Pumpkin Pie
Lemon Merengue Pie
3 Sam’s Club size bags of Halloween candy

Gross. Good thing I brought in Vegan Pumpkin Whoopie Pie too!

Inspiration for Today

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."
--Charles Kingsley

Creepy Playground

I was walking through the East Village to the LES the other day and I came across something strange to see in New York City. It was an enormous fenced-in playground hidden by trees and bushes with an endless suppliy of toys and things to preocupy children. It reminded me of Michael Jackson's Neverland and kind of creeped me out. If I had something like this when I was a kid, I would have probably loved it. Instead, I climbed trees in my big back yard and used my imagination. This was a funny sight to see in Manhattan.

Verrrrry curious.

My Daily Bread

Keepin' it Green.. Brussels sprouts, toasted pine nuts, bean sprouts, leafy greens, honey mustard vinaigrette.

Follow Your Heart

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Breath-taking

So Typical

It is sometimes difficult for a busy 20-something living and working in New York city to set aside time with friends. All of my friends live fairly close, yet our schedules are so different that it is a treat when we all can actually come together. I am trying to make a valiant effort to not let friend time slip away, (see above image), as my friends are my family out here.

'Tis the Season

Tomorrow is the first day of October.. which made me feel that it was necessary to go out and by bags and bags of Halloween candy for the office. Now I’m off to yoga on my little sugar high.

Lovely

I want to venture to the tiny blue house surrounded by sunflowers.

The Shire

My brother and his friends took this picture a several years ago on the front porch of their house in college. My friends and I thought it would be funny to reenact that moment on the porch, as it was one of our favorite places to hang that year. Those were the days..

Street Smells

During my 10 block walk at lunchtime, my sense of smell was extremely powerful to the point where I picked up on a variety of aromas:

-Cigarette smoke
-My favorite falafel truck
-A very strong cologne on a man 10 paces away from me
-Steam bellowing up from the subway grates
-Roasted nuts in those carts
-NY pizza pie baking up a storm
-Garbage.. lots of it

I decided to block out all sounds except for the music in my ipod. The city can be overly stimulating at times.

Pretty

I want one in my apartment!

Extreme Yoga

One day, I would love to be able to do this...

Seasonal Eating

It has started. I had the most amazing butternut squash soup with my salad at lunch today. I also enjoyed a crispy golden apple that reminded me of going to the orchard when I was little and drinking apple cider (which I plan on doing this year!) It makes me happy that it's time for fall foods!

On that note...
I wanted to have a pumpkin carving this weekend with my girlfriends (who enjoy fall as much as I do). However, Megan reminded me that it is only September and that we still have a few more weeks to go. I guess I got a little ahead of myself!!

Slow Afternoon

Sigh*
My boss has been gone this week, and I have not had as much work to do. I need a project.

Yikes!
Probably a bad idea to bring peanut butter to work... I can't seem to stay out of it!

Reality TV
It is just awful. Although I am guilty of watching a few shows, (mostly because my friends and I can always get a good laugh), I think it is a poor excuse for entertainment and the "actors" are being paid way too much.

I love this quote:
"The bluebird carries the sky on its back."
— Henry David Thoreau

My Daily Bread

I love freshness and vibrant colors in every meal.

Today, my daily bread:

• Fresh, organic red and yellow tomatoes
• 1/2 avocado
• Spinach
• Bean sprouts
• Garbanzo beans
• Home made Dijon vinaigrette

More Inspiration?

“ I keep saying I gotta start working out. It’s been about two months since I’ve worked out. And I just don’t have the time. Which is odd, because I have the time to go out to dinner… And watch tv… And get a bone density test… And try to figure out what my phone number spells in words."

--Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen, I couldn't have said it better myself.
Time to get to the gym!

Inspiration for Today

“I dare you, while there is still time, to have a magnificent obsession."
--William Danforth

So Much Loveliness

Anthropology is so glorious. I spent an hour or so in there on Sunday with my friend Megan, gazing at vegetarian cook books and visualizing how cute my food would look on their adorable, brightly-colored plates.

Inspiration for Today

"When you are inspired, dormant forces, faculties, and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be."

— Patanjali, ancient yogic scholar

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday, Grant! I love you so much!

What's Cookin'?

Roasted asparagus, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pearl onions.

Bright red and yellow tomatoes, raw garlic, fresh basil, salt & pepper.

Roasted vegetables with garlic, basil and couscous.

Couscous with coconut oil, pistachios, and dried apricots.
It's always a good idea for a pretty table setting, even for one!

Starting my Saturday..

Fresh black figs, yogi tea, and an inspirational quote.

Now I'm off to yoga!