Current Obsessions: Picky Bars, Spaghetti Squash, and Evolution Juices

Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement about my Chicago Marathon announcement yesterday! Five people have already donated. You guys are amazing!! Getting emails throughout the day notifying me of donations kept a permanent smile on my face. Thank you! (And if you haven't donated but would like to, here's my fundraising page).

"Nope, not waking up and going outside in sub-freezing temperatures. Why do you think that's a good idea?"

After a Refine Method class yesterday morning followed by pro bono work for an hour, I helped fill orders over at Erica Sara Designs International HQ. She was a bit swamped after a feature in US Weekly showcasing her custom name rings. I spent the afternoon packaging up beautiful custom name rings and race bling. Gotta say, it's pretty awesome to be surrounded by all that love being sent to people, and I really enjoyed seeing how the jewelry is made.

Erica polishing a name for a ring - how cool is that?

Apparently all this made me very tired because I got home, ate dinner, and completely passed out on the couch with Mason for two hours. Sourabh came home from school to a conked out girlfriend (and possibly an empty hard cider bottle -- it was definitely Mason drinking that, not me). I somehow woke up enough to do some legal research for the charter school I volunteer with before finally passing out for good in bed.


But no blogging happened last night. Hence the late start this morning. Whoops.

Anyway, today I wanted to share three things I'm completely obsessed with lately. Yes, they're all food. Don't laugh.

Picky Bars

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I ordered these two weeks ago because I'm trying to work on my run fueling and get that strategy down before the NYC Half. I'd heard amazing things about Picky Bars from Ashley and Liz (and generally the whole Twitterverse), but I didn't want to spend $20 on a package of them.

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 Well I finally bit the bullet and ordered a pack of Smooth Caffeinators, described as "hazelnut mocha goodness." That basically sums it up. These things are good.

Their tagline is "it's freaking science, dude," and they're formulated to have a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, ideal for recovery. They're vegan, locally sourced when possible, and have minimal soy content. Oh, and they taste delicious. I've been using them when I'm running a few hours after a meal, or cut in half as pre- and post-fueling for a shorter (<5 miles) run.

Aaaand I'm ordering a multi-pack now to try more flavors. I'll let you know how I like them!

Spaghetti Squash

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I love eating pasta with a good spicy, vegetable-filled marinara sauce. But if I'm not fueling for an ultra marathon (hint: I am never fueling for an ultra marathon), I don't need to eat all that pasta.

Enter the best vegetable ever: spaghetti squash. I only started making it a few weeks ago after reading Michelle's crazy easy guide to making it, but it changed my life. Sure, it's not identical to pasta,  but it mimics the texture and basic taste really well and allows me to eat a giant plate of "pasta" without needing to break out the sweatpants.

(Who am I kidding, the minute I get in the door the sweatpants go on.)

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And in case I haven't raved enough about Michelle's blog, Lace and Race, you seriously need to follow it for the great run-fuel veghead recipes. Vegetarian shepherd's pie? Come live with me and cook for me, please, Michelle!!

Evolution Juices

This isn't a new obsession considering I would always head to a Starbucks to find a green juice immediately after landing in Seattle. But they've just come to NYC! Here's the thing with Evolution Fresh juices, though: most of them are your typical juice calorie bomb. But the Sweet Greens is a fabulous green juice with only 80 calories and it's made from celery, apple, cucumber, spinach, parsley, romaine lettuce, lemon, lime, wheat grass, clover sprouts.

"But Jen," you cry, "I thought you didn't care about calories!" No, I don't count calories. I do care if something I'm drinking has 30 grams of sugar and 300 calories and it's not a protein shake that's a replacement meal.

The fact that I can run into any Starbucks and grab a green juice now is extremely awesome. Obsessed.

Have you tried Picky Bars or Starbucks's new juices? Ever made spaghetti squash? What are you currently obsessed with?

My Favorite Things: Starbucks edition

Quick Weekend Update
I had a nice weekend of exercise and catching up with friends from out of town. I also got a glorious 11 hours of sleep Saturday when someone super sweet suggested that he sleep on the couch with the pets so that nothing could disturb me for an entire night (I'm a light sleeper, so our pets tend to wake me up fairly frequently, and it's been rough lately).

there was still snow on the ground on Friday!

After a gorgeous 5 mile run on Friday, I got myself gussied up and we headed down to meet friends from undergrad at a new restaurant on the Lower East Side, Cata. I was really surprised by how much is already up and running, since I know how many areas of Staten Island and most of the Rockaways are basically still a disaster zone. However, the Lower East Side appears to be mostly recovered, and restaurants there could very much use your support! Subways aren't 100% but it wasn't much of a hassle to get down there after we checked service alerts to know what subways weren't running normally.

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If you like tapas, you'll love Cata, which has really great Spanish small plates. Also a huge range of gin and tonics (not my drink of choice so I stuck to a glass of cava). After a delicious dinner, we saw a stand-up show at the Upright Citizens Brigade, dropped by a bar to watch the last quarter of the Knicks win against the Mavericks (4-0 to start the season! Go Knicks!), then caught a late showing of the new James Bond movie, Skyfall. It's a fun action movie, and really beautifully filmed, but guys, the plot... I'll just point you to Vulture's attempt to break down the evil genius's plan. Obviously that's part of the whole Bond franchise -- ridiculously convoluted evil plots -- but this one especially was ridiculous.

dark restaurant = ghostly me

After too few hours of sleep, I met up with my friend Hana who was visiting for the weekend. Our plans were unfortunately changed because we couldn't get to the early class we planned on due to subways not running as we'd expected. Still, it ended up nicely since we got to have a long lunch at Le Pain Quotidien. We were seated across from some ladies talking about how lucky their friend was for marrying the man she did, because if she'd married some other guy she'd be pregnant with the baby of someone unimportant, and how terrible would that be? I just have to preserve that conversation for posterity, because... really? Really?

the interior of the Barry's Bootcamp Tribeca location
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Anyway, after lunch we tried Barry's Bootcamp. My feelings basically mirror Hana's, which is why I'm just going to link to her review. I think I'd go back occasionally but don't see it being a major part of my fitness routine. I didn't have an "instantly in love" feeling like I did with Uplift Studios, Strala Yoga, or Physique 57.

My Favorite Things: Starbucks!
I love Starbucks. I know, a white blonde girl who likes Starbucks? How original! But I do, I love Starbucks. They have a magnetic pull on me. Whenever I'm out walking Mason with Sourabh and I see one, it's like a force field pulling me in to spend $5 on a cup of soy milk in a cute cup...

But seriously, I love Starbucks for more than their fancy drinks and holiday cups. In fact, I don't even like the fancy drinks all that much (but I DO love those holiday cups). My favorite part of Starbucks is actually the fact that I can reliably get something healthy there when I'm rushing around or traveling. Running errands and need a snack? Pick up a KIND bar and banana. Starbucks has really stepped up their healthy food options in the past year, and these are some of my favorite picks.

Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal

"hearty, 100% whole-grain oatmeal"
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I love oatmeal. Starbucks has oatmeal. Enough said? Ok, well not quite... it's important to note that if you add all the toppings, the 140 calories quickly climbs up a lot higher. However, this is a great breakfast option because who doesn't have a Starbucks close by? Perfect if you're leaving for an early flight or slept past your alarm (because you totally budget in time to make yourself breakfast every morning, right??).

Protein Bistro Box

"cage-free egg, white Cheddar cheese, honey peanut butter, multigrain muesli bread, apples and grapes."
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I always like putting together a plate of different items when I make lunch for myself, so this basically does the job for me. Lots of protein, healthy fats, whole grains, and some fruit make this a nice lunch option. And at 380 calories, it can definitely serve as a small lunch.

Goat Cheese and Garden Veggies Bistro Box

"vegetable medley served with goat cheese, tzatziki dip and cranberry almond crackers"
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This one is better as a snack than the protein box, given that it's 220 calories and wouldn't be super filling. I generally don't eat much dairy, but I make an exception for goat cheese because, well.... if you like goat cheese, that's self-explanatory, right? (And if you don't, who are you??)

Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap

"a wheat wrap filled with cage-free egg white, spinach, feta cheese and tomatoes."
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I got roughly four hours of sleep last night because I was up reading Gone Girl. Crazy addicting (also, crazy people). Good vacation read for sure. Anyway, I just wasn't up for making myself lunch, so I grabbed one of these on the way home from my morning class. I love these as a warm, filling small meal. At 290 calories, it's perfect paired with a piece of fruit.

Roasted Vegetable Panini

"roasted zucchini, eggplant, and red peppers with baby spinach and provolone cheese on focaccia bread"
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This is probably my least favorite of the things on this list, just because it's white bread and the cheese can feel a tad bit gummy. However, it's still tasty and is filled with veggies, so it's a good option for when you're craving a sandwich for lunch. And at under 350 calories with 13 grams of protein, it should keep you pretty full!

REMEMBER TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY FOR SANDY RELIEF!!

What's your favorite Starbucks food or drink item? 
Have you tried Barry's Bootcamp? What'd you think?

Weekend Travels: Home to Washington State

I'm in Washington State!

Since I’m a third-year law student, I don’t have a very rigorous schedule, and I was able to reschedule the Contracts TA session I teach so that I could fly back home to Washington State on Thursday and back to New York on Monday. Being me, I put off packing until the last minute, so I was up late last night packing and only got 5 hours of sleep. Whoops.

I still wanted to get in some kind of physical activity before flying all day, so I woke up at 5:30 AM to run 2 miles on the treadmill in my building’s gym. Who needs coffee when you can run? I jacked up the speed to get the miles done more quickly, and ended up with an 8:27 pace. It’s always easier to run quickly on a treadmill, but still, woot!

I quickly showered off, said my good byes to the boy and dog (cats never care if I'm gone...), then grabbed a cab and headed to LaGuardia to catch my flight. I don’t love the travel process, but I do love traveling, even when it’s just flying back to Washington State for a visit to my family. I grew up in the rural Pacific Northwest, in a small town just about 5 miles south of the Canadian border. It’s a long slog from New York – a 6 hour nonstop plane ride or 8-9 hours if there’s a layover, then a 2 hour drive home from Seattle’s airport. But it’s always worth it to see the fam!

the gate across from mine was decorated for Halloween. not sure if this is encouraging when getting on a plane, but it was fun to see early in the morning.

I spent both flights catching up on some TV shows, starting Scott Jurek’s Eat and Run, and studying for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). The MPRE is a standardized exam you have to take as part of the Bar exam that I’ll be taking in July, after I graduate. You have to pass both the New York State Bar, which is the laws of New York, and the MPRE, which is basically an ethics exam, before you can be licensed as a lawyer in New York. I’m taking it on Saturday, November 3 – the day before the New York City Marathon! Cheering on the runners on Sunday will be my reward for finishing the exam on Saturday.

the fact that Denver's airport needs signs for tornado shelters was concerning to me. I saw Twister when I was little, I don't think being in a women's bathroom would save you from a tornado...

Watching movie or TV shows on my laptop always seems awkward. Yes, I’m watching Nashville and I think it’s awesome. Don’t judge me because it’s a primetime soap (Revenge is awesome, too, but I watch that one with the boy). There was also some partial nudity on one show – oops, sorry, hope I didn’t scar your children. Thankfully it was only over-18’s in my vicinity. I also chatted with my seat neighbor, Janice, who it turns out is a sommelier at Purple Cafe & Wine Bar in Seattle. Next time I have a longer trip I'm definitely going to be dropping by!

Afternoon in Seattle

My flight from Denver to Seattle landed around 2 PM, so we got to do a few fun Seattle  things before the two hour drive back to my hometown. We went to the Seattle Art Museum to see an exhibit on female artists, mainly from the 1950s to 1970s. 

It was an interesting exhibit, although some of the art was a bit too abstract for my taste, especially without any description or context. Still, I'd actually never been to the Seattle Art Museum, so it was great to check it out!

this artist, a Polish Art Deco artist named Tamara de Lempicka, was the main reason my parents wanted to go to the museum, but unfortunately this was the only piece of hers in the exhibit

After the museum, we walked through Pike Place Market. I had specially requested to do that since I love the market so much. There's so much food and so many local artists' stands. I found a few great gifts and picked up a wonderfully fresh honeycrisp apple to snack on the 2 hour drive back. 

the Seattle Great Wheel (a brand new addition to the waterfront) with a ferry coming in to dock 

the amount of seafood at Pike's Place Market is staggering. SO much crab, lobster and fish! 

Pike's Place Market is basically an indoor market since the weather is so often chilly, overcast, and drizzly in Washington 

the original Starbucks logo outside the original Starbucks

Pacific Northwest Starbucks cafes have fresh-pressed green juices! NYC, please follow this trend!! 

how funny is this pot holder? my friend Katie will be the lucky recipient of this gem 

the view from outside Pike Place Market -- you can see the Seattle Great Wheel, cranes for loading and unloading shipping crates, and CenturyLink Field (the Seahawks stadium) 

We ended our afternoon in Seattle with dinner at Umi Sake House in Belltown. Since we were having an early dinner, we were able to order off the happy hour menu. I've become used to New York prices, so you can imagine how excited I was about a $10 sashimi plate! The fish was extremely fresh tasting, too, since Seattle has so much fresh fish constantly coming in to the port. 

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Now I'm home and about to watch the premiere of the first season of Revenge with my parents. Trying to get them hooked like I am!