Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Hi there!  Terrible blogger here.  I have missed you guys, but honestly leaving DC after work on Fridays and not getting back to DC until Sunday night made it really hard for me to keep up with this.  We kept cooking and eating and running over here, but at the end of the evening, after the dishes were done and the laundry was done and lunches were made, I just did not have the desire to sit down and rehash it.  I have the beginnings of a few posts on meals we've cooked over here, but first I thought I'd fill you in on what has been taking up most of my energy the past month: being a jetsetter! Sort of. If taking the Megabus to NYC qualifies as "jetsetting."

So, without further ado, a somewhat brief recap on my adventures of late.

1. We went to NYC. It was awesome.  Among other things I: ate at an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant the length of a city block; walked across the Brooklyn Bridge; had Tasti-D-Lite for the first time (verdict: yummy, but Frozen Yo is better); had a lengua taco (verdict: not a fan); and...saw NEWSIES!! I have loved that movie since I was a little girl, so I jumped at the opportunity to get tickets while we were in the area.  It was amazing!  Never fear, Brooklyn is here!

 

Sushi. So many different kinds of sushi.

Tasti-D-Lite! 

My sister showed us around her grad school campus.

2. I ran 7 miles in Central Park. My first 7 miles! And then ate a yummy egg and cheese bagel.

3. We went to Baltimore.  I have two close friends that I've known since high school who live up there, and our mutual lack of cars means that we don't see each other as often as we should.  So MG and I took the Amtrak up on a Saturday to spend the night.  We: had a picnic in a beautiful park; had a delicious and fun meal of vegetarian moussaka homemade by my dear friend and cook extraordinaire, Rachel; enjoyed Indian buffet; visited a cool free art museum; and played Scattergories in a sculpture garden.  I love my friends!

 

Teamwork!

 

The moussaka assembly.

Friends, food and wine. Pretty much all you need.

4. I ran 8 miles on the National Mall.  My first 8 miles!  And then ate a yummy egg and cheese bagel.

5. MG finished his civic duty on a trial, so we celebrated with Frozen Yo.  Also he surprised me one day after work by having 3 loaves of pumpkin yeast bread in the oven when I walked in the door.  I love him.

6. MG and I did a little paint your own pottery and then went out for a fantastic Vietnamese dinner for one of our monthly secret dates that we plan for each other.

The artist at work.

Coasters!

 

Lemongrass chicken for him, pork bun for her.

7. We went to New Jersey for the wedding of one of MG's friends from high school.  It was a beautiful wedding and I loved meeting all of his friends.  It was also the most extravagant wedding I have been to, foodwise.  During cocktail hour I ate my weight in Chinese food, Italian food, shrimp cocktail, and perhaps a bacon-wrapped scallop or two.  And I tried caviar (verdict: love it! Wish it wasn't so freaking expensive).

Approximately 1% of the full extent of the cocktail hour food and drink spread.

The caviar station. That guy looks creepy, but I can overlook that for expensive fish eggs.

8. Went to a panel talk at the National Archives featuring three former White House chefs who collectively served presidents from Carter through Obama.  Highlight: learning that Amy Carter used to ask the chefs to help her bake cookies, then would run off in her roller skates and let them burn.  Also the time that one of the chefs was instructed to destroy a box of expensive caviar that Gorbachev brought to President Reagan, because it was a security threat. The chef decided it was worth dying for and took it home. See #7, above.

We have one more trip to make, this time to Wisconsin for the wedding of two of my best friends from law school.  I can't wait to celebrate with them, but it will also be nice to have a weekend at home and get back into a normal life routine.  Once we return, Cookies and Kale will be back to its regularly scheduled programming.  Happy Halloween!

Photo source: Lynn Dairy

New Month's Resolution: October

I cannot believe it's October already! I really feel like it was only a couple of weeks ago that MG was having his wisdom teeth out and I went to Miami.  But this morning, in case there was any doubt that fall is here, we woke up to 53 degrees and a grey fall sky threatening rain.

We're not to be deterred, though, so in addition to watching Ohio State play this afternoon, we're going over to the Crafty Bastards Fair to do a little early Christmas shopping (and possibly buy some things for ourselves while we're at it).

Last month I decided to start setting monthly goals for myself and share them with you. My September resolution was to try to snack only if I was actually hungry (and not for other reasons, like boredom).

This month, my goal isn't exactly food related, but it is health and fitness related.  And, as I mentioned in my first post, part of my desire to have a blog is not just to share delicious recipes with you, but also to have a place to share some of my successes and challenges in staying fit in general.  So, for all you foodies out there, I hope you will indulge me in talking a little bit about my October goal: to run a 15K.

I've run off and on since I was in college (although there was a lot of "off" in there). The summer before my 3L year I did the Couch to 5K running plan and ran my first 5K.  Since then I haven't always been consistent, but becoming a more committed runner was one of my challenges for myself when I decided to lose weight last New Year's, and I'm happy to report that not only have I stuck with it, but I'm loving it (I won't say every moment.  But many of the moments :) )

Finally, a race photo where I am smiling!

Photo credit: Marathon-photos.com

The Navy 5 Miler that I ran last weekend was my 10th race. I've now run several 5Ks, 8Ks and 10Ks, and I run regularly several times a week, usually 4-5 miles at a time.  When MG decided to sign up for the Hot Chocolate 15K, I started thinking about doing it too, but I had some fears. Although 15K isn't *quite* 10 miles, it's pretty darn close, and the idea of running that far was (and still is) pretty intimidating. But I remembered how scary the idea of running my first 5K was and then, in turn, how scary the idea of running two times that seemed, and I decided that there was no reason why I couldn't tackle this too (also the running jacket is pretty sick). So, on December 3, weather and health permitting, I will be running 9.3 miles, and then celebrating my achievement with Ghirardelli chocolate.

Although this race isn't until December, I've made it my October goal, because as I've previously mentioned we're traveling quite a bit in October. So the real challenge in my training will be to commit to waking up and running 7, 8, and even 10 miles while away. One the one hand, I always enjoy running in new places, because it's a fun way to see the city. On the other hand, I'm realistic, and I recognize that once I'm there, it may very well be a challenge to get myself out of bed.

So, I hope you don't mind if I share updates on my progress over the next 10 weeks.  In exchange for your patience and support, I'll share some yummy recipes. Most of which will probably involve pumpkin. (J/k). (Sort of).

How will I cook you? Let me count the ways.

And finally, go Buckeyes!!

Reader Survey: What are your October resolutions?

The Lunch Box: DIY Microwaveable Veggie Burritos

Happy Friday everyone! This week ended up a good one, lunch-wise:

We got back LATE on Monday night, so all my hopes of preparing something yummy to take to work on Tuesday were dashed. I had to resort to my emergency stash of frozen lunches, which are an emergency stash precisely because they don't taste great, so I only eat them if there isn't any other option.

My original plan was to pick up a salad from Au Bon Pain to have with my Lean Cuisine, but as I sat at my desk thinking about lunch, I decided I just wasn't feeling that. The problem though, was that I couldn't decide what I was in the mood for!  There are plenty of options by my office, but none of them sounded spectacular. Then, I remembered to check Food Truck Fiesta to see if any food trucks were in my neighborhood. I was so excited to see the Ethiopian truck nearby, since I've been wanting to check it out for a while. Fantastic! I got shiro wat (a hearty split pea stew) and collard greens. And a huge serving injera bread to scoop it all up! It was super delicious, very filling and only cost me $7, so needless to say I will be doing that again.

Mm, Ethiopian! From a truck!

Anyways, I didn't get home until 11 p.m. that night because I had choir after work, so I had pretty much resigned myself to the Lean Cuisine for lunch on Wednesday since there was no way I was going to have the energy to prepare anything before bed.

But, MG, being the awesome boyfriend that he is, surprised me with DIY microwaveable burritos! He'd seen a post about it on the Kitchn that morning, so he decided to help me out of my lunch jam. These little guys are fantastic - he used whole wheat tortillas and stuffed them with black beans, reduced fat cheddar, red onion, green chiles and rice cooked with diced tomatoes. Then wrapped them up in foil and popped them in the freezer! I brought them for lunch Wednesday and Thursday and they are super easy to reheat - just wrap them in a paper towel (remember to take off the foil first!), place on a plate, and microwave for about 3-4 minutes. Super delicious, filling, healthy, easy, cheap...kind of the perfect lunch, eh?

Getting stuffed.

 

All lined up and ready to go into the freezer (for a brief stop before I eat you!)

Again, MG's looks more appetizing. I think it's the real plate.

But don't be fooled, mine was delish! With some salsa, of course.

And, we still have 5 more in the freezer! No more emergency Lean Cuisines for me, even in a pinch I can have a home cooked meal! :)

Special Edition: Earthquake!

Oh hey, there was an earthquake!

In case you were unaware. Yep, I'm an earthquake survivor.

Everyone went out on the street immediately after it happened. 

Some people were sharing a bag of Reese's cups.

Peanut butter and chocolate make everything better.

Everyone's OK and accounted for, and since nothing serious appears to have gone down, I can now discuss the humor of the whole event.

Starting with: D.C. + natural disasters = nightmare. I originally got on a bus, but traffic was awful - when, after 30 minutes, I had traveled 4 city blocks, I decided to hoof it. 

I stopped at Whole Foods for a bottle of water and a Kashi bar, since my lunch was interrupted. In other news, since we were not able to re-enter the building, I get to deal with my dirty soup bowl when I arrive at work tomorrow. Yay!

I survived the Great Earthquake of 2011!

This was before I realized it was going to take me almost 1.5 hours to get home.

Favorite quotes heard on the trip home:

Lady on bus - "This is God telling us what's what."

Man in suit on K Street, yelling into phone: "Nora! Nora! Do not separate! I am on my way up there! I will call the school! Do not leave Jake!"

Woman on her cell phone walking down the street: "Then when it started I ran. I wasn't waiting for her ass!"

Ah, the human bonds formed in the wake of a natural disaster.

The damage? Or just poor decorating skills? You decide.

The cats were fine though. If they were traumatized, I couldn't tell, because demanding constant attention is the norm.

I did actually learn some valuable lessons in case, god forbid, I ever experience a real emergency:

1. Always have good shoes for walking.

2. Glad I carry sunscreen in my purse for unexpected walks home.

3. Friends and family: if anything like this ever happens again, don't expect me to be able to tell you immediately that I'm ok. Most likely I'll have no cell phone reception.

4. Apparently I have no idea what to do in an earthquake. First thought "what the hell is going on??" Second thought "um...am I supposed to get under the desk?" Third thought "that seems stupid, what if it collapses on me?" I ended up just sitting in my chair while the building shook. BTW, what do you do in an earthquake? 

5. But I do have some good instincts! Managed to get my iPhone and purse before exiting the building. Did not manage to shut down computer.

I hope everyone else had an equally exciting, but ultimately humorous experience. Earthquake 2011!

Addendum: I don't mean to make light of what could have been a serious situation. There is building damage being reported around the District, but from what I've heard, nothing too bad, thank God. And the earthquake itself was pretty scary, especially since I had no idea what was going on. Definitely had shaking hands as we exited the building. But, I am happy that we all seem to have come through unscathed, so I hope my humor is taken in the spirit in which it is given: genuine relief.

Gardens and Tweets and Pies, Oh My!

A couple of fun Cookies and Kale announcements before bed:


Our Balcony Garden is Famous (sort of)!
Check out the pictures of the Cookies and Kale balcony garden posted on Prince of Petworth blog last night!


The Twitter
Cookies and Kale now has a Twitter feed (@CookiesandKale) - if you're on Twitter you should follow, and if you're not on Twitter, well, that's fine too.  I'm still a little ambivalent about it, really, but that's what the kids are doing these days :) Look for updates about posts and other fun foodie things that I come across!


D.C. State Fair at Columbia Heights Day 2011
Finally, but possibly most importantly, if you are in the D.C. area and enjoy baking, growing and preserving, you should consider entering something in the D.C. State Fair 2011 Contests to be held at the 5th Annual Columbia Heights Day!  This year, Columbia Heights Day will be on Saturday, August 27 at the Harriet Tubman Elementary School Field (11th and Kenyon Sts. NW).  It's always a really fun time and a great way to support the Columbia Heights community!  There will be vendors, food, crafts, live music, a petting zoo, a cupcake eating competition, and the second annual D.C. State Fair booth!  I can't attend this year (boo) because I will be partying it up in Miami (yay), but MG is planning on entering a peach pie.

If you do decide to enter something, send pictures to cookiesandkale@gmail.com and I'll post them here.  And even if you don't feel like competing, you should mark you calendar and plan to stop by the festival!  More info about Columbia Heights Day can be found here and info about the D.C. State Fair contests here.

A Few Shots From Columbia Heights Day 2010 and the D.C. State Fair Baking Competition

My entry in the cupcake competition: 

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes

My competition.

The pies.

MG's entry: Raspberry-Rhubarb Pie!

Being judgy.

Neither of us won, but we got to eat what we'd brought.

So in a way, we did win.

Some of our friends benefitted from our losses.

A satisfied consumer.

Happy Columbia Heights Day 2010!