I Like Mine with Lettuce and Tomato

Summertime is here. Time for lemonade, corn on the cob, sand in your hair, and feet in the ocean. With 4th of July right around the corner, I have been (much like everyone else I am sure) daydreaming about swimming in pools, hitting the beach, and wearing a dress everyday; but more importantly: eating outside with friends and family at all the wonderful barbeques that are going to be occurring frequently in the upcoming weeks. "How does the tofu eating pig attend a bbq”? Easy! Folks, "separate is not equal,” even with food. We (the veggie heads) can handle ourselves just fine at these flame grilled parties. Actually, the BBQ inspired me this week for blogging since we are entering our season for it, and it plays such a large role in our culture. If I am hosting, I tend to guarantee that a Veggie Burger will be on my plate. If I am the guest, I count my blessings with side dishes. Its so easy. You do not need to be a vegetarian in order to enjoy a Veggie Burger, and they are not a “girl thing” (despite what some of my alpha male friends jokingly say). In fact I have eaten so many different kinds of veggie burgers I could separate those blogs into another section on this page and title them the "Veggie Burger Chronicles". I’m thinking that would be a huge hit or miss.
But back to the BBQ. Ah the good ol barbeque. How American of us. And in true American fashion, who doesn’t like to take their favorite ingredients, sandwich them between two buns and include lettuce tomato and pickles? Exactly. This is one of the few examples we have as a country that gives us culture. Even though the hamburger has historical roots in many other countries prior to its landing on our map, it is still one of the few foods that you can catch on an “American” menu. Since we are the melting pot, I feel sometimes culture is a dying idea for our country. We instead battle each others ideas and beliefs rather then celebrate the differences between them. But everyone I know BBQs. And I have friends from all over the world. Their families moved to America, and by God they are throwing something on the grill. It may be burgers, it may be artichoke hearts, it may be tortillas, but it's happening.
I like to think it all began in 1940 with ground beef thrown over the flame, put onto a bun with special sauce and a side of French fries thanks to Dick and Mac McDonald. We (the food students) have referred to them as the godfathers of our Fast Food Nation. In 1948 McDonalds established the guidelines of the modern fast-food restaurant. (The McDonald brothers began franchising in 1953). They were the first to realize that making menu items exactly the same in taste and price no matter which state of America you are in, was brilliant. Consistent, cheap, & dependable is what fast food sought out to be. (The Hamburger is of course older than McDonalds, however I believe it is the birth of fast food restaurants in our country that forever changed the way Americans eat. Whether or not it was a change for the better or worse I will leave up to you). The way Madonna changed pop music, McDonalds changed our eating habits. Then, it was a burger, milkshake, and order of fries. Now, we have options!
I hate to disappoint my meat lovers, but the Veggie Burger is absolutely the up and coming of its kind. Its like Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It is hip, new, and full of musicians, the environmentally conscious, and hipsters diving into it. The Germans may have looked at us funny if we offered lentils in a patty shape instead of sausage back in the 1800s. The ancient Mongolians perhaps would have killed us if we messed with their horse meat. But in 2010, we need to be more focused about lowering our cholesterol, preventing atherosclerosis, and decreasing our sodium intake. Veggie burgers bring a lot to the table. They are lower in fat, calories, cholesterol, & depending on the ingredients in them bring a lot more nutritional value. So, this is why I bring to your attention the veggie burger. While I do not eat meat, I promised myself as a blogger I would not try to make YOU a vegetarian. Thats your choice. Plus, there are no actual rules when it comes to this. You are allowed to have one "meat free" day, (or meal) and no one is going to show up at your door telling you thats not enough. I just want to see you try the veggie burger, (or incorporate more veggies into your diet because no matter what those can not hurt you). I promise to post the veggie burgers I am eating all over this city and any other town I happen to be munching in. Perhaps a "veggie burger series" wouldn't be such a bad idea. Wishing you all happy barbeques this summer with family, friends, pounds of vegetables, and an open mind for trying new foods.
**The veggie burger picture posted above is from Rockwells Express on 8th street between Broadway and University Place in nyc. It costs $5.95. It is (for lack of better words) awesome.
And for my last laugh, enjoy some Jimmy Buffett

• Cheeseburger In Paradise by Jimmy Buffett

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Yoga Pants & Stand Up Comedy

(Central Park: Where I become inspired)
Last week I was told (by a friend) that I am not an extremist, but actually pretty balanced with the way I live my life. Despite many spontaneous decisions revolving around travel and a pure love for living in the moment, I actually keep things semi "in order". I should stress the word "semi". After all, for years I had the nickname “messy jessy” because well, sometimes I just like my stuff broken or a little messy. What can I say? I live on the edge. I was happy to hear this small evaluation of myself. It is true, I like to leave jeans on the floor sometimes. But I also don’t live like a slob; I think my place looks great. I eat healthy every day, but if I find myself out with friends and an apple cobbler with cinnamon or vanilla ice cream (my favorite) gets ordered for dessert, I can grab a spoon and smile. I just don’t have that gene that makes you sway towards one extreme or the other, I am simply balanced. That being said, since I have been going out the last two weekends until 5am with my friends, being almost impossible to drag off a dance floor, I had a different idea for this Saturday night. (Gulp). I was staying in. And I believe that just as much as it is important to go out and enjoy being young & have crazy moments whenever possible…this is just as important. Stay in. Love yourself. :)
So I started my Saturday evening with a 6pm workout at the gym. It was fierce. My mantra was “I hope you enjoyed that mac and cheese you had with Stephanie last night, because now you are doing four sets of everything”. You have one body. Love it. Sure, Mac & Cheese is yummy, but it’s not healthy.
(Stephanie and I right before heading out for the night. We had a glass of wine at a beautiful favorite spot of mine, & then became too hungry for salads. My big Mac & Cheese event took place at Big Daddys Diner on Park Ave South around 10pm this past Friday night).
So, I made it to the gym and I did backward lunges, squats, sprints, sit ups, dumbbell presses, and a dance routine or two in the studio to close out my session. To me, my time at the gym is therapeutic. Also, the more you workout the more you get to eat, (calories are "energy in", working out is "energy out" and if you keep them equal then you remain the same weight, quick mini calorie lesson) :) This means No binging. No starving. Just peace. And most things are OK in moderation. I say MOST things, because not everything is ok in moderation. For example, driving drunk is never ok, not even if you do it once a year. Neither is robbing a bank, or being cruel to people or animals, no I’m sorry you cannot use the moderation rule here.

Moving on... I came home from the gym, & took the shower of my life. By the time I exited my bathroom, the entire apartment smelled of lavender vanilla soap and coconut milk shampoo. I was born again. And by 8:30pm I had a verdict, no high heels tonight. Instead, I opted for my favorite pair of yoga pants and white t-shirt, a tall glass of ice cold water, & stand up comedy on TV. I turned my lamp on next to my bed, opened my bedroom window to let in the coolness from what was one of the most perfect summer evenings outside, & I began the process of relaxing. Sometimes after a long week, I feel the best cure is hitting a karaoke bar. Other times, I feel my best after just taking care of myself with a workout, a shower, & a good book, (Or even better, Kevin James on the comedy central channel). I giggled and laughed out loud for 2 hours watching his stand up. I laughed so hard at times that my body temperature went up! Yes, I was hot from laughing and smacking my hand against my thigh in the moments where I made no sound laughing so I felt smacking my leg would compensate. Ah..good stuff.
So that is when I thought about writing on balance. And I want to make something clear. Exercising and watching what you eat does not make you high maintenance (this bothers me when people throw that idea out there). Working out and watching what you eat means you are an educated person who cares about your health & your body. Put into your body what you would feel comfortable having others see on the outside. I try my best to live in balance & keep almost everything in moderation. Except for making friends, laughing, & dancing, I can go unlimited on those. And as much as I love to go out, I really do have a soft spot for taking a bubble bath on a Saturday night and listening to Billie Holiday. With this balance, I find myself enjoying my life more than I ever have before. Stay Healthy. Stay Happy.
Peace. Love. & romantic bubble baths with yourself xx
I leave you with one of my favorite Billie songs, because whats a Saturday night in without one?

• The Very Thought of You by Billie Holiday

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Light & Sweet

Every morning when I wake up, my thoughts tend to go like this:
“I love this bed”
“That was a splendid 9 hours of sleep”
“mmm…coffee” (big stretch, and then hop out of big comfy bed)
Clearly, the man who ends up with me is going to have to either enjoy coffee as much as I do, or be willing to go with me each morning when I get my fix. You know what? He doesn’t even have to come with me really. As long as he doesn’t say things such as “I am not pulling this car over for your cup of coffee, you can wait until we get there” (that’s where I draw the line).
Recently, I noticed something new on my corner. A coffee guy! He wasn’t there when I moved in back in January, but here he is now! Every morning from 5-11:30 he is in his silver portable coffee shop on the corner of my apartment building, and now I can take 25 steps to get to caffeine. However, the best part of this story is not the coffee I drink every morning, but rather the friendship I have established with the man behind the silver portable coffee shop on wheels. We talk about anything really. The weather (of course), my hours at work for the day, what we did the night before, and what we plan to do with our upcoming weekend. One day I mentioned that I needed to buy 2 ice coffees from him, since he only carried small cups. The next day, he had a sleeve of giant plastic cups for the ice coffees. “For You” he said. And if that’s not already the cutest darn thing you ever heard, you should know I also get a discount. The best part of buying my coffee every morning from this guy is the part where he stares at my cup, waves his hand around and goes “ehhh, for you? One dollar”. Then I go “for me? You’re too nice!” He replies “Normally, its $1.25, but you are always here!” (with a big smile on his face). Then I say “thank you so much again, you have a great day today! (followed by a “stay warm!” “stay cool!” or “stay dry!” depending on the weather). This morning routine is turning into a little tradition, & I am quite pleased with it.
(a beautiful sunny Tuesday morning, & another ice coffee to go)
Growing up, my dad was a coffee truck driver. He would go to office buildings during breakfast and lunch hours and well, serve food and coffee out of his portable café. I started going to work with him when I was 2. My mom had put the car seat in the front passenger side of the truck, & I would always fall asleep by the time we were driving home for the day. What father wouldn’t love to have a job where his two year old little girl can accompany him for the ride home? It was great. When I was 4, I got promoted. I would stand next to dad, and hand customers their napkins, spoons, or forks. I should mention that the women who worked in these offices found me adorable, and would frequently “tip” me and slip a dollar in my little pink purse. By the time I was 7, I was given the responsibility of giving back change. “He gets 2.25 back jess” my dad would say. There I went, counting out the two dollars and one quarter. This was excellent math practice for a second grader. I am the daughter of a coffee truck driver. I spent years riding around with Dad, talking to people, taking coffee orders, & making friends. This is a part of who I am, and I find joy in the simple mornings where I talk to the man who serves me my coffee, as now I am the woman who is heading off to work. I always find time for a nice conversation with the coffee man before I rush off for the day.

• Just Like Heaven by The Cure

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One Sweet Love...(& then 3 more)

On 22nd street and ninth avenue lies a tiny little secret that bursts with frosting. I actually have considered apartments in the area mainly so I could be walking distance from this bliss. While the neighborhood is a little out of my price range for now, mark my blogging words I will live in west Chelsea one day in an adorable apartment filled with hand painted coffee mugs, book cases covering my living room wall, & coffee table books on Paris. But for now, on this cloudy Friday morning I come downtown on my own. Billys Bakery is a place I send everyone to. When I used to live in Hells Kitchen (which is near Times Square), I always found myself talking to tourists. When they would ask me for a “local spot” to discover I sent them to Billys. “Best cupcake & coffee you can ask for” I’d say. Billy doesn’t even know just how much I really promote him. It’s kind of like a secret crush where I am too embarrassed to admit just how in love I am. But everyone who is my friend will get sent to Billys at one time or another. My advice, don’t go at night. The line is out the door with people who have figured out the secret as well. I go at 9am, when there is still a morning shadow on the sidewalk & the quiet streets of West Chelsea only host those walking their dogs or heading to work. It is lovely, and I always get my seat in the old fashioned booth at this time. My time spent at Billys on these mornings always make me think about how cupcakes are definitely one of my “things”.
Everyone has their “thing”. And by “thing” I mean the thing you love that is supposed to be “bad”, but to you it is so good. Examples of “things” include gambling, alcohol, smoking, macaroni and cheese, or eating pints of Ben and Jerrys while watching black and white films on AMC. (Just guessing). I for one, have reached the point where I finally feel comfortable admitting my vices. I am comfortable not only admitting them, but embracing them as well. I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs, & I eat (relatively) healthy most of the time. I also exercise. So if I want to indulge in coffee, wine, and cheese… I’m going to.
What makes me laugh about my indulgences is that they all seem to match up with a girl who may have grown up in Rome. I am part Italian, but with no influence from my family I ended up instinctively going for those three things. Wine, Cheese, & Coffee. How Italian of me. Quick side story: two years ago I went to a super bowl party. Now, a lady would assume you need to bring something to the party as a small thank you right? I brought a bottle of pinot noir, cheese, & crackers. Where did I think I was going? A book club meeting? This place was full of men who wanted nothing but burgers, beers, and broads (not my vocabulary, I just find it fitting here). And in I walk with red wine & cheese??? I know. But at least I am true to who I am. Besides, as a vegetarian you have to watch your back. You can not assume that every party you go to is going to have a spinach dip waiting for you, so you need to make sure you cover yourself. I had a great time at that party, and I also watched one (drunk) man flock to my cheese plate multiple times throughout the night. Hey, if you can save one, you’ve done your job right?
So now I feel that if you haven’t known me well in the past, you certainly do now. This is because you know my weaknesses. Wine, Cheese, Coffee,….& cupcakes :)
What little blessings those 4 things are.

• Stay by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs

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Peace. Love. & Pink Frosting.

All You Need Is Love,...& Soft Tacos

Last Sunday morning, I found myself sitting on a bench with my good friend Liz looking at the East River; while joggers, baby strollers, couples, and children on scooters went passed us. It had been a night to remember just hours before, & we were a little discombobulated. Nevertheless, still feeling great and up & out the door at 10am with our giant ice coffees (you all notice the pattern here as my ice coffee tends to make a cameo in anything and everything I say or write). Our conversation I feel, was “one for the books”.
I am turning 25 in a few short weeks. Liz turned 25 back in February. Yes, we had that “I had this picture of what 25 would look like” talk. When I was 15, I thought 25 was old. In fact, I thought Id be engaged by then! (pause for laughter). Maybe since my mom was engaged at 25, and I felt 3 years out of College would be “enough time to live my life”. But I was 15, what the hell did I know? When I was 18, after completing one year of College, I had this whole other image of 25. In this pretty little picture, I am 3 years out of College therefore in this fabulous career making a ton of money, & living this extravagant nyc lifestyle that includes many many (many) pairs of shoes. Again, lets all have a nice laugh. No I am not engaged (it’s not that I am against marriage, I just am not ready for it yet & also haven’t met the right person). And the funniest lesson definitely goes to all the College kids who believe jobs are dying to bid on all us graduates as if bachelor’s degrees are like rare gold. I’ll never forget post College: my nanny job, my waitress job, and my $9 an hour gig at Abercrombie and Fitch on 5th ave where I was paid to stand at the door and say “hey whats goin on?”
But for Liz, I felt her. I felt what she was saying. Regardless of the life we picture for the future, one can’t help but reflect on their birthdays of the moment. “I just didn’t think this is where Id be at 25” she said. “I like my life, but I thought a few other things would have happened or been different by now. I have goals, but the years just fly by and they don’t always happen”. Well, she was sitting on the bench with the right girl. I am the girl who turned 12 years old & wanted to know why I hadn’t seen Africa yet. For 24 years old, I have an unusual appreciation for life. Lord knows I love my shoes & dresses, but the littlest (and sometimes dumbest) things can make me smile for days!
I love eating. I love going pumpkin picking in October. I love Central Park & the Museum of Natural History. I love sitting with friends and doing nothing but talking and finishing a bottle of wine. I love doing things on my own, & feeling independent. I love doing laundry! (There’s that “dumb” example). Point is, sometimes I wake up and I actually think to myself “life is beautiful”. And I know that is cheesy sounding, especially since I am not living some perfect life over here, I have had my ups and downs. I’ve lost family & friends, been treated poorly, & had times of massive confusion and uncertainty. But it is so true. Life is so beautiful.
I am aware that I can get attacked right now with horrible examples of war, disease, & poverty, but believe me friends I am aware of it. I am getting a masters degree in it. My take is, there is also so much good in the world, that if we are blissful enough to see that, we can use our “good” energy to go where help is needed. “Be the change you want to see in the world”-Gandhi. There. I just quoted Gandhi. Now you all really must be thinking I had a few glasses of wine before writing this, but I swear the only thing I have consumed while typing right now is a kit kat bar.
Back to my conversation with Liz. Liz opened my eyes that day, and I think I opened hers also. We know we are lucky to have each other as friends. We know that living in Manhattan together for the last 7 years has taught us a lot, and is a part of the women we have become (so far). Liz is a good person and makes me laugh whenever I am with her. She stayed out dancing with me until 5am this night before, & we had a blast. I in return promised to her motivation & support, because no matter what she wants to do in life, I will be there to back her up (and make sure it happens by 30 if that is what she wants) :)
You need to say to yourself what you want to do with your life, & then you need to just do it. I write my goals down because I feel they have a better chance of getting done that way. My 12 yr old dream for Africa? Happening in 2012 when I go with my Public Health Program for 4 weeks. I knew I’d get there one day, & I will. Bottom line: as far as I know I have one life. I want adventure, I want happiness, I want love. And for the record, I have no age limit on those things, & I am excited to be turning 25 in July. I think I will make a lovely 25 year old. Liz & I are just two 25 year olds, doing our thing, loving the life we live, & having faith that we are going to be just. Fine. I love you miss liz. You are a fantastic friend.
PS: Did I mention on our night out, we did karaeoke to B52's "Love Shack"? We got rave reviews from our audience :)

• Love Shack by The B-52's

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230 & (very) Broken In Heels

When you live in a city, and the weather is fine...it is entirely acceptable (and 100% environmentally friendly) to walk where you need to go rather than cab it. Everything is close. Unlike the suburbs I grew up in where there was no way you could live without a car, nyc is not that bad for moving on feet. I walk to my food store up in my neighborhood, to Duane Reade, and to my subway stop. But the walking I’ve done this week takes this concept to a whole new level. In two lovely days, I have walked a grand total of 230 blocks in Manhattan. Why? A few reasons:
1. It was gorgeous out.
2. I have no money for cabs being I just started my new job and haven't seen the pay yet, and
3. I love manhattan and my ipod and am always up for combining the two on a nice long walk with myself.
On Wednesday I woke up knowing I was going to begin the journey of decorating my upper east side apartment, being that I just signed a renewal and am officially calling this home for one more year. I took over the lease in January with a 6 month commitment, and didn’t really know at the time if I’d be staying. (I moved from Hells Kitchen, & wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being uptown again.) So, we did little with the place. It is small, all white walls, but with a fantastic view of the East River from my room on the 22nd floor. And with at least 365 days more in it, I knew my bathroom & living room had to be fantastic as well.
So I walked 35 blocks to Bed Bath & Beyond on 60th and 1st, “went to town” in there, and walked 35 blocks back up. Sigh….That was only the beginning. What would later follow that day, was a trip to Carl Schultz Park on the east river, & then Central Park on 110th (top of the park) to sit in the grass with my gal pal Lilia. Transportation Method? My legs. Total Blocks: 100.
On Friday, I left my apartment nice and early (with large ice coffee in hand) & walked from my place on the Upper East to Lincoln Center on 65th and Broadway. I crossed town through Central Park, which was incredibly scenic. (See photos of this perfect day below). I arrived at Lincoln Center just in time to sneak (yes sneak) into my friend Jasons graduation ceremony from Brooklyn Law School. I smiled, hugged, took pictures, and off I went again. Congratulations Jay. 


(my perfect stroll through central park. brittle path)


I then walked (here’s the kicker) from Lincoln Center on the west side, to 16th street and Irving Place downtown on the east side. I had a mandatory meeting for work (on my day off, but the meeting was held at a bar and we were given food and drinks so I went with a smile on my face). Besides, Irving place is my favorite street in the entire city and I was able to sit there for a bit in quiet because miraculously I arrived to this meeting early. So there I was…230 blocks, 2 days, sitting on Irving Place, with my shoes kicked off just enough where I could give my feet a break without them actually being out and touching the sidewalk. I sat there in the heat, and reflected. I thought…great day. Feet are hurting. I am sweating. I want an ice coffee the size of my head. I walked across this whole city today…I am a champion.

Lo Siento

I apologize...to all 6 of you. First I create a blog, then I decide not to tell anyone about it until "I am ready and confident in my consistent writing ability", & then I write 3 posts and forget I started. It wasn't supposed to be like this. And yes, I was supposed to use facebook to recruit more followers...but life is what happens when you are busy making plans right? I believe thats the saying. I have been so caught up with life recentely, that I forgot I had this super plan to be this great blog writer who discusses important topics such as health, nutrition, fitness (as well as my favorites like music and travel).
And my, so much has happened since I last came on here. To recap: I finished my first year of graduate school (whew)...BP assisted in the greatest environmental disaster ever (tear)...I got a summer job! (dollar bills raining down on me...and then right into my landlords hands). But hey...I am doing it, on my own, and loving every minute of my crazy life. These last few weeks since finishing school have really come and gone like a summer thunderstorm from your childhood. You know...the ones where youre swimming in the backyard pool on this hot gorgeous day, & within seconds it is downpouring. You are fleeing the scene of the backyard, running inside as the thunder scares the living daylights out of your dog, (whose giant golden retriever tail is now hitting you on the legs like a baseball bat as she races you for the door). You are cold, because you are now inside your house in a wet bathing suit. You watch from your window, and after 5 minutes of this beautiful beautiful rain, It just stops. The sun comes out again...and youre debating whether the rain made the pool too cold to go back in.
That was my life from May 1st-now. Sun, Thunder, Fear, & Serenity. All in 3 weeks. Or 8-12 minutes if were sticking to my pool analogy.
Perhaps I should go back to thinking of more ideas related to this blog to write about. But for now, I just want to write. Truth: I dont know what I want to do with this blog. I love nutrition, & I am studying it...but I sometimes feel like there are other things I want to say. Thinking: I wonder if I will ever have more then 6 followers, but boy do I love the title of my blog. Fact: "youve had a blog for not even 2 months and youve already forgotten about it".
You know whats really been on my mind though? (Besides my homemade smoothies that I can make with a magic bullet that my roommate got from an infomercial)...music. <3
Ah yes, music. Whenever my life changes in any way, music always seems to be a part of it. Whenever I travel somewhere, music tends to leave its mark in any city I go to. And right now...its been getting me through the night. Would you all judge me if I told you I sleep 9 hours a night almost every night? I will not be embarassed. I think its healthy and wonderful, and probably why I am almost always a happy happy lady. But in these changing times (and some confusing times) I have well...sort of been having trouble falling asleep at night. Not every night. But a few in the last week or so. That being said, I have been busting out the old routine which is creating multiple playlists on my ipod that help me fall asleep, or remind me of happy thoughts (which lead to me relaxing and falling asleep). And hot damn...I just love that stinkin i pod. Maybe its from years of dance class. Maybe its from my father saying "name this song!" to every tune on the radio, from any genre imaginable, forcing me to become an 8 year old human jukebox. But music and me. we are a good match. It just works. To me, its like language.
Blah. Enough about my babbling on and on over my endless playlists. It is almost midnight and the amount of spelling and grammar errors that are probably floating around in this note would make me cringe. But I am going to post it anyway. I am going to post it without even reading it over once. (badass).
(Pet peeve: adults who spell every day words wrong). Judgemental? Maybe a little. But I cant help it. And with how sleepy I am right now, I am probably throwing stones at my own glass house.
Off to bed I go. I hope to be a better blog writer this summer, & keep this thing going as close to the original plan as possible.
Peace. Love. & Hummus.
Jess