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.
Happy Halloween from Emily “Mufasa” Dickinson!
Emily Dickinson was feeling very jealous of all the famous kitties on the internet today so she begged me for a photo shoot.
Instead of running today I put in my volunteer hours and hiked up to the George Washington Bridge at 7am to help out some awesome American Cancer Society teammates who were running 20 miles today in preparation for the New York City Marathon. They are super awesome!
Red Lentil Soup with Macaroni
I wasn’t the only one interested in my lunch today.
Emily just wanted to make sure it tasted okay. She approves.
Lentil soup is an art I haven’t quite perfected yet, but I feel I’m getting closer. In the past I’ve made this soup with Middle Eastern spices, but this time I stuck to tradition and went with an Italian-style soup. The pasta really helps to bulk up the soup and make it a full meal… plus I just really love macaroni.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tsp thyme, oregano, basil
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups of cooked macaroni
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Method:
Heat olive oil in pot and add garlic, onion and spices. Cook for about 2 minutes and add carrots. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add lentils, diced tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. When the lentils are soft, stir in pasta.
I love adding a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to my soup bowl, as the tangy really pairs well with the lentil flavor. A little tip I learned from Mr. Bittman.
The soup is delicious, but it was really the cheese and crackers on the side that Emily was interested in.
Good Morning Martini!
Jooookes! I made this last night.
I love martinis (dirty, 3 olives), but when I tried to make them a year ago they were disgusting. I decided to stick to the professionals for awhile but last night I bought some Hendricks and gave it whirl. This time I got some advice from Marcia. She suggested using just a cap full of vermouth for 2-4 shots of gin. I think last time I used WAY too much vermouth! These weren’t perfect, but they were definitely an improvement. George didn’t even need to pretend to like his!
This morning I had something a little less alcoholic:
I made cereal (granola, chia seeds, milk, berries), but then threw it all in a blender. It was kind of weird, but also delicious. Maybe I was too lazy to chew this morning? I added some plain yogurt to the blender to make it a bit creamier.
I’m heading out soon to run my scheduled 9 miles. Thus far this week I’ve run:
- Monday: 3 miles
- Tuesday: 4.5 miles
- Thursday: 4.5 miles
Plus the 9 miles today and the Do Life 5K on Sunday (who’s going??) I’ll have a total of 24 miles this week, which is exactly where I want to be.
Maybe it’s thanks to that martini last night, but I’m not really itching to get out the door this morning. Luckily, Emily smacked me in the head a few times and now I’ve come to my senses.
See you after the run!
Lazy Day Blueberry Pancakes
Today I woke up and had no plans. What? That never happens. Sounds like a great opportunity to make brunch.
But first, breakfast.
George sleeps in approximately 3 hours later than I usually do, so I’ve learned to eat breakfast instead of trying to wait and getting HANGRY. I chopped up a peach and topped it with some cottage cheese and cinnamon to hold me over. It tasted like peach pie!
For my second meal I wanted to make blueberry pancakes and eggs. I used a recipe from Crepes of Wrath for “the best blueberry pancakes” and it turns out she’s NOT exaggerating. The most interesting part of the recipe was it instructed me to separate the yolks and the whites and then whisk the whites until foamy. I then folded them into the batter mixture. These pancakes were THICK and super fluffy. They tasted like dessert!
I used frozen blueberries because I was out of fresh ones and they turned the batter into a beautiful purple hue. The frozen blueberries tasted just as delicious as fresh ones.
Today we’re taking a walk to the Museum of Natural History, as soon as kitty finishes snuggling with George’s shoe…
![Today’s Lunch: Similar Salad, New Location
Transitioning into student life will likely mean a lot of changes to my eating habits. Most of all, it will mean I’ll need to focus on packing items that can go all day without refrigeration. But for the next week and a half I can stick to my habits while I’m at home preparing for the GRE (the grad school admissions test).
In my salad:
Kale (massaged with lemon juice to soften)
Organic cherry tomatoes
Organic cucumber
Button Mushrooms
Shredded cabbage
Crumbled Dunbarton Blue cheese (similar to English cheddar and DAMN good
Emily Dickinson is very happy that I’m home because we get to play her favorite game: ‘attack the string for several hours and whine when we stop playing.’
Another excellent perk to being home this week? I can actually watch the French Open in real time!
I never get to see the French Open because of the time difference so I’m soaking it all in. I’m not a huge sports fan in general but I love tennis. [Djokovic has been a favorite of mine for YEARS and I’m so excited that this year might be his best thus far!]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llny31CJ3s1qzb72no1_500.jpg)
Today’s Lunch: Similar Salad, New Location
Transitioning into student life will likely mean a lot of changes to my eating habits. Most of all, it will mean I’ll need to focus on packing items that can go all day without refrigeration. But for the next week and a half I can stick to my habits while I’m at home preparing for the GRE (the grad school admissions test).
In my salad:
- Kale (massaged with lemon juice to soften)
- Organic cherry tomatoes
- Organic cucumber
- Button Mushrooms
- Shredded cabbage
- Crumbled Dunbarton Blue cheese (similar to English cheddar and DAMN good
Emily Dickinson is very happy that I’m home because we get to play her favorite game: ‘attack the string for several hours and whine when we stop playing.’
Another excellent perk to being home this week? I can actually watch the French Open in real time!
I never get to see the French Open because of the time difference so I’m soaking it all in. I’m not a huge sports fan in general but I love tennis. [Djokovic has been a favorite of mine for YEARS and I’m so excited that this year might be his best thus far!]
8 miles, 1:17:15.
If it’s hard to read my watch in the photo, it’s because Emily jumped in to say PAY ATTENTION TO ME ALL THE TIME.
There’s no better way to slash your morning doubts and anxieties than by slogging some miles. Definitely not my best run, but not bad enough to start bribing myself with post-run milkshakes.
After my run I created what I’d like to call the “fat sandwich.” Two fried eggs, cheese, and avocado. Plenty of fat sandwiched between slices of carbs. An excellent post run meal. And seriously messy.
Happy Saturday!
Today’s Lunch: Indian Food Makes it Better
On Sunday, my Mom and Aunt came for a visit to meet the kitty and we all went out for some Indian food. My mom and I both got the Chana Saag (my favorite) which is basically just chickpeas and spinach. I took home my leftovers and hers and had enough for two days worth of lunch. I LOVE Indian food.. it always makes me feel better.
..Which is good because last night was night #4 of Emily keeping me up ALL NIGHT. She meows constantly. The first few nights I was getting up and yelling at her, but last night I decided that it was probably better to just ignore her all together. I picked up some earplugs but they were horribly uncomfortable. The cat jumped all over my bed, nipped at my feet, sat on my head and MEOWED ALL NIGHT. At 5am I got up, locked her out, and shove the earplugs back in my head. I think this is going to be the solution for awhile. Sigh.
I’ve been so tired that I didn’t even get my 8 mile run in this weekend. I have run ONE TIME in the last 9 days. I don’t like it one bit. Tomorrow morning I’m going to try and go for a run, exhausted or not. Maybe it will even make me feel better.
Cat owners, please tell me it gets easier!
Oat & Maple Syrup Scones (and a cat!)
Last night was a sleepless night. The cat meowed from the time my head hit the pillow to when I finally gave in and got out of bed at 6am. George thinks that this is a typical shelter cat habit and that she’ll grow out of it. Let’s hope so. Other than that, she’s been a perfect little cat and she seems to be settling in.
This morning I felt like I needed a hearty and delicious breakfast so I finally got around to making Smitten Kitchen’s Oat and Maple Scones that I’ve been eyeing for a few weeks. I don’t understand why my baked goods NEVER come out looking as lovely as Deb’s do. I guess that’s why she’s the one with the book deal!
The only change I made to the recipe was using a bit more whole wheat flour and a bit less white flour. I think this might have made them a little more crumbly, but I love the taste of whole wheat flour so I’m okay with it.
If you’re ever wondering why scones are so damn good, it’s because they’re made with a crap load of butter.
I think the only mistake I made was rolling the dough out a little too thinly. She said 3cm high and this is probably more like an inch.
I glazed the tops with a beaten egg.
Hellooooo scones. My apartment smells AMAZING right now. The maple and oat combination is so tasty, I’ve already had 3!
And now for a photo of my cat:
You would probably be surprised to learn that Emily Dickinson is, in fact, quite vain.
Day 1 of cat and I’ve already started….
BIG NEWS!
I adopted a kitty!
Meet Emily. Full name Emily Dickinson. This was her name at the shelter and I think it’s PERFECT so I’m not going to change it.
I’ve thought for a long time about adopting a cat and I’m so excited (and scared!) to finally own one.
My cat owning friends warned me that she would probably spend her first 24 hours hiding under my bed.. but no. She has literally scoured every inch of my apartment and will barely even stay still for a photo. She looooves getting her tummy rubbed and she is purring up a storm. I think this is the beginning of a great friendship!
So, attention cat owners: Any tips? Words of wisdom? I’ve never owned cats or grown up owning cats. Blank slate here. I’m learning as I go!
Maybe now I’ll figure out what the heck #clotu means…
![Today’s Lunch: Similar Salad, New Location
Transitioning into student life will likely mean a lot of changes to my eating habits. Most of all, it will mean I’ll need to focus on packing items that can go all day without refrigeration. But for the next week and a half I can stick to my habits while I’m at home preparing for the GRE (the grad school admissions test).
In my salad:
Kale (massaged with lemon juice to soften)
Organic cherry tomatoes
Organic cucumber
Button Mushrooms
Shredded cabbage
Crumbled Dunbarton Blue cheese (similar to English cheddar and DAMN good
Emily Dickinson is very happy that I’m home because we get to play her favorite game: ‘attack the string for several hours and whine when we stop playing.’
Another excellent perk to being home this week? I can actually watch the French Open in real time!
I never get to see the French Open because of the time difference so I’m soaking it all in. I’m not a huge sports fan in general but I love tennis. [Djokovic has been a favorite of mine for YEARS and I’m so excited that this year might be his best thus far!]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llny31CJ3s1qzb72no1_1280.jpg)
