The Honest Palate

Fried Eggs, Wild Rice & Kale

Remember me? One time frequent blogger who’s been sucked into the Columbia postbac pre-med program, swallowed by terrifying Physics tests and crippling amounts of work?

I’m alive! I’m eating all the things! Today I added some kale to leftover wild rice and poured a glug of soy sauce and a squirt of sricacha in the pan. Once the kale was wilted, I set the rice and greens aside and fried up two eggs. A hearty lunch is necessary to make it through my classes today, which end at 10:30pm.

Please accept this photo of Emily Dickinson acting like Emily Dickinson as an apology for my absence.

02/23/12

George and my roommate are watching TV and drinking beer.

I’m in my room studying Physics.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

02/14/12

It’s midterms week.

[HyperboleandaHalf]

02/13/12

Orecchiette with Tomato Sauce and Kale

Thanks to Lauren I ate things other than coffee and boxed mac and cheese for dinner! This recipe came from the Times, but we left out the added sugar… tomatoes are sweet enough already. Also, we forgot the parmesan and then tried to buy it from 3 different delis.. major fail.

We are now watching the Grammy Awards while a full on Whitney Houston tribute plays out in the street in front of our apartment. It’s a great night for learning all the music the “kids” are listening to. [Did you know Bruno Mars is a singer and NOT tv show?]

02/12/12

Good morning, coffee.

Nothing like a rainy Saturday to help me stick to my plan of packing in several hours of Physics problems. Woo hoo!

I have an evening sushi/sake date with a handsome man (relax, it’s George) to keep me going. Eye on the ~~prize~~ sake.

02/11/12

“There’s a place called Hidden Valley Ranch where kids not only eat their vegetables, [THEY SMOTHER THEM IN BOTTLED RANCH DRESSING, NEGATING THEIR NATURAL, NUTRIENT RICH DELICIOUSNESS]. Hidden Valley Ranch, makes vegetables [TASTE LIKE SALT].”

Fixed that for you.

02/9/12

Happy Wednesday!

02/8/12

This should read…

“Here are ways Michelle has been solving her Physics problems.”

Whoops.

02/7/12

Today’s late lunch:

Portabello, avocado, arugula and mozzarella on whole wheat with some tomatoes and amazing cole slaw from my roommate.

I also ate this with a side of soul-crushing physics problems, all the coffee in the world, and a handful of self-doubt.

Mmmm.

02/7/12

Curried Kale, Okra, and Red Lentils

Living near a Whole Foods is the best/worst thing to ever happen to me. While I understand why it’s often referred to as “whole paycheck,” I DO think it’s possible to shop there on a budget. You just need to have serious restraint… something I definitely lacked today.

Along with many other unnecessary purchases, (cheese), to pick up some red curry paste, kale, and okra for tonight’s dinner. I cooked the red lentils with coconut milk, diced tomatoes, grated ginger, curry paste, and a diced jalepeno. On the side I cooked the kale and okra together and mixed it into the cooked lentils before serving it all over brown rice.

Also, I’d like to point out that cooking on a FULL SIZE stove is a revelation…something that I sorely missed in my last apartment.

02/1/12

My post bac friends would like you to know that I occasionally eat less healthy foods, such as pizza.

But please note there are vegetables on said pizza.

Hi, post bac friends!

01/31/12

New Apartment, Old Roommate!

I mentioned briefly last week that I was moving out of my apartment… and it’s finally over with. (Minus the 15 boxes left to unpack.)

Some highlights:

I’m now living on the west side of Manhattan for the first time in the 8 years I’ve lived here.
I’m no longer living alone! Living alone was a great experience and I would definitely suggest trying it at some point. But I’m thrilled to be back with my friend and old roommate, Lauren! Lauren LOVES cooking which is excellent news for this blog. Also… gentlemen… she’s single.
My apartment has STAIRS. Apparently, if you move far enough away you can get some awesome amenities.
Things are pretty great. I no longer have a 50 minute commute via bus and train to Columbia.

Tonight, Lauren made dinner, so I’ve decided to keep her. Whole wheat pasta, tomatoes, chickpeas and arugula. And beer. New apartment rule: there will always with beer.

01/30/12

Clear evidence that Big Food wants to trick you.

I read about this somewhere a few months ago, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen the horrifying sight in real life.

Potato chips prominently displayed in the produce section.

Apparently, processed food companies are trying to work their products into the fresh/unprocessed food section of grocery stores to align them with healthier alternatives and boost sales.

Normally, (and I’m sure this is the case for many), I never travel down the chips aisle, but now here they are, right in the middle of two weekly staples: avocados and tomatoes. Perhaps a shopper was picking up some tomatoes for salad, then saw the chips, and thought… Mmm chips and guac! Delicious and totally fine.. except when a company is manipulating you when you’re not even aware.

Nothing makes me angrier. So BEWARE! Don’t let Big Food get a hand on your grocery list. Get that junk out of my produce aisle.

01/23/12

10 Notes on My First Week of Pre-Med

(or How I Stopped Having Free-Time and Started Loving the Library)

1. I have a giant zit on my forehead likely from several face-palms during my Calculus homework.

2. Working, volunteering, and taking 4 classes does not leave much time for doing the actual work.

3. There is a LOT of actual work. There are problems, chapters, homework, recitations and the mounting stress of fitting everything in.

4. Columbia has about 5 million libraries and I’m working on finding my favorite. Currently I enjoy the science library, at a table near the window overlooking Broadway. My least favorite is the Math library because it is called the Math library.

5. Peanut butter and jelly travels well in a back pack. Bananas do not.

6. When do I exercise?

7. You can figure out who the post-bacs are in any lecture because we’re the students sitting in the first two rows who showed up 30 minutes early to class.

8. If two trains are traveling at a speed of 30 km/h and a bird is flying at 60 km/h between the trains, how long will it take for your head to explode? Answer: 5 minutes.

9. Did I mention I’m moving out of my apartment this weekend? At some point it might be a good idea to start packing. Moving in NYC is the WORST. It’s the worst. But UWS, here I come!

10. I would love to be blogging about 5x more than I currently am, but it’s just not happening. I don’t think I realized how much work I would actually have and the amount of time I would be devoting to my classes. It’s a lot. So right now the plan is to find a balance.

I just wish this zit would go away.

01/23/12

Things I like about Columbia:

No matter how nerdy I am about getting to class early for a good seat… there is always someone nerdier than me.

Welcome to Physics.

01/19/12

The Honest Palate

An ethical and honest approach to food policy, fitness and nutrition.

10 Notes on My First Week of Pre-Med

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