Category Archives: travel

May 23, 2013 · 8:52 am

memorial day: poconos bound

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Despite the fact that I just got back from Blend, I need to turn around and pack again, because there’s a long weekend on the horizon, and that means a trip to the Poconos. It’s become somewhat of a tradition to spend the first official weekend of summer, Memorial Day, in the Poconos with Connor’s family — bonfires, barbecue, and (hopefully) lots of sunshine. I love spending long mornings out on the deck, looking out at the lake. There’s something so peaceful about being there, and of course, being surrounded by great company.

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At this point, I’ve seen every season and every kind of weather here. It’s prettiest in the fall, I think, but I’m not going to argue with warm weather, shorts, and sunglasses. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain this weekend. It’s been thunderstorming almost every day in Boston, and while I love a good thunderstorm, I’d prefer the sun.

Last time we were there, it was back in February for President’s Weekend (side note: is it just me or is this year flying? February feels like yesterday!) As I previously wrote, during this visit, we helped C’s parents re-tile the floor in the kitchen as they prepared for their re-model.

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I am so excited to see the finished product! I’ve been getting emails with pictures and panoramic interactive views but getting to see it in person will be so exciting.

This afternoon will be spent packing, which we already know I’m really bad at, so I’ll definitely need to make a list in advance. I usually do a grocery store run prior to a long road trip to prepare a bag of snacks, but thanks to all the swag I got at Blend, that won’t be necessary:

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So much swag left over!

Believe it or not, I’ll also be back in the Poconos next weekend, as we are having a ‘girls’ weekend with female members of my family and Connor’s family (no boys allowed.) I’m excited to have some family bonding time (and undoubtedly eat lots of good food.)

And then…exactly one month from next Tuesday, I’ll be flying to the Outer Banks for a week-long vacation. I’m so excited to go back there, after my first visit last summer:

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Just looking at that picture makes me happy. So much vaca, so little time!

I’m hoping to have some awesome guest posts during my week in the OBX, and I’ve already gotten some fabulous bloggers on board. Leave me a comment if you’d like to write a guest post for me next month (and if we haven’t already talked about it)!

Here’s to long weekends and vacations!

Reader Question: What are you doing this Memorial Day Weekend?

8 Comments

Filed under life, travel

May 22, 2013 · 9:01 am

blend recap 3: saturday, burpees, and mountains

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Is everyone sick of these Blend Recap posts yet? What’s that? No? You want more? Okay!

Saturday entailed tons of activity, and by the end of the day, we were all sore and exhausted. And full of delicious food. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Saturday morning began with a Fitness Boot Camp sponsored by GPP Fitness. Despite the fact that we all enjoy working out, I think it’s safe to say that the workout kicked our butts. In the best way possible! We started with a series of short sprints, and we were told that they’d feel “easy” but we’d be sore from them the next day. Absolutely 100% true.

Awesome photo via Lindsay!

After that, we went into the Deck of Cards workout, which I’d actually never heard of before, though some of my roomies had. Basically it was a different exercise for each suit of the card (ex: hearts = situps, diamonds = burpees, etc) and whatever number was on the card was equivalent to the amount of reps needed to be done. And jokers = run around the hotel building (in the rain, bee tee dubs) for 2 minutes. Hello, sore muscles. It definitely felt like an accomplishment once we were all finished!

Photo via Lindsay!

After the workout, we all headed to breakfast where we met representatives from The Laughing Cow and Muesli Fusion. Our breakfast consisted of both products, plus a lot of fresh fruit and coffee.

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I decided to try the strawberry spread and cinnamon. Absolutely delicious.

After breakfast, despite the fact that we were starting to get sore from our GPP Fit workout, we gathered our energy and enthusiasm for the ProBar sponsored hike through the mountains.

We were given some samples prior to heading out, and they came in handy later on the hike.

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These tasted like fruit snacks!!! But…like…healthier.

It’s important to note, as a segue, that prior to embarking on the hike, we went back to our rooms to get some sweaters and longer pants…and found this:

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As if the swag bags we got on Friday weren’t enough!!!!! Zevia, Core Power, and Soy Joy. A lovely little trio.

As I mentioned in my first post, I think the hike was my favorite part.

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It began with a seriously muddy walk (and ended with a few of us throwing our sneakers away, but hey, more room for swag in our carry-on’s, right?) We had to walk a mile to the start of the trail. As I was discussing with some of the girls, hiking might be my favorite ‘outdoor’ activity. It’s great exercise but it’s also social and just so peaceful. There’s something about being outside and being surrounded by nature while still getting an awesome workout.

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Could you want anything more than a view like this one? I mean, really….

Once we were back at the hotel, we all desperately needed a shower. We also broke into our swag bags for some refreshing drinks:

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I was skeptical when trying this soda, but I thought it was completely delicious! It tasted so fruity and light. Definitely going to be getting these again!

After re-establishing ourselves as clean and fashionable bloggers, we headed downstairs for a snack break sponsored by Onnit.

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These hemp protein shakes were super delicious and had a great flavor. Honestly, anything with cocoa has my vote.

It was here that we met Whitney Miller, AKA Miss United States, who was such an awesome person to get to know!

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She told us all about her podcast, Women Against Mediocrity, which I encourage you all to check out. From her facebook page: “Women Against Mediocrity is a page dedicated to offering the inspiration, motivation and tools to help stoke the fire to be extraordinary in your own life. Taking a stand against mediocrity is not about where we are now, or what our accomplishments have been to date, it is about the pursuit of excellence as a strong, healthy, vibrant woman. Included will be stories, workouts, recipes, and tips to help you along the way. Lets do this!” This girl is definitely an inspiration!

At this point, it was only 3 or 4 but it really felt like dinner time (especially to us east coasters) so we headed downtown to explore Park City itself.

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We found ourselves in Mountain Town Olive Oil, and enjoyed some samples of delicious oils and balsamic vinegars. This only made us hungrier though, so we ended up at an early dinner at Wasatch Brew Company.

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Photo via Carly!

This amazing day ended with homemade Utah scones, courtesy of “Mama B”, one of the greatest ladies ever. These things were so delicious, I could have eaten a zillion of them (and probably did):

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Just looking at that picture again is making me hungry.

Ashley, Kate, and I got up so early on Sunday to get our flights so we missed out on some of the final festivities. It was sad saying goodbye to them at the airport, and the other girls the night before, but we’re talking about reunions already. I definitely think I’ve made some lifelong friends in one weekend. And I can’t wait to go back next year!

Related Posts: Blend Recap 2, Blend Recap 1.

11 Comments

Filed under food/drink, life, travel

May 21, 2013 · 9:13 am

blend recap 2: friday, airplanes, swag, and cocktails

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Now that a few days have passed, we’ve had time to go through and edit our pictures, and slightly recover from our intense workouts, it’s time for a more thorough recap. And what better place to start than with a morning coffee? (As pictured above.) My flight on Friday morning left Boston bright and early – before 7am. I attempted to sleep on the plane, but mostly no such luck. The combination of caffeine and excitement kept me from any possibility of sleep.

Before I go any further, I need to just say a big thank you to the girls who hosted Blend: Lindsay, Janetha, and Katie . These girls are absolutely incredible — they deserve such recognition and applause:

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Our amazing hosts! Photo courtesy of Lindsay.

Upon arriving at the Salt Lake City airport, I met up with my amazing roommates:

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Say hello to Sara, Ashley, and Kate. Of course Kate and I already know each other (as we’re soon to be related) but it was so much fun to meet Sara and Ashley and get to know them better. I felt like I already knew them from their blogs, which made for easy conversation and pre-established common interests. Our shuttle arrived promptly and we enjoyed the thirty minute ride from Salt Lake City to Park City.

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We laughed pretty hard at this picture with the opportune finger pointing and the 7-11. As Kate said, she’ll point us in the direction of where to get our Mountain Dew.

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We were continuously blown away by how gorgeous the Hyatt Escala was. Everything was beautiful – from the exterior, to the lobby, to the hotel staff (hehe), to the rooms. We expected our suites to be adjoining hotel rooms connected with a small kitchen but imagine our surprise when we opened the door to find a 2-floor apartment-like suite, with a huge kitchen, dining room table, multiple fireplaces, etc. We felt instantly spoiled and loved every second of it.

We barely had time to pick our bedrooms and explore before running downstairs to collect our “swag bags”.

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I still cannot get over how much stuff we got over the weekend: protein bars and powder from Vega, delicious bars and fruit snacks from The Pro Bar, sodas by Zevia, snacks from SoyJoy, CorePower drinks, samples from Lara Bar, muesli by Muesli Fusion, chocolate from Attune Foods, juice from Blue Print, and so much more! I stuffed as much as of this as I could into my carry-on bag. If I’d gotten stopped at security, they would have thought I was a female body builder or something.

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After we poured through our Swag Bags, we made a quick appearance at the Snack Break which featured Justin’s Nut Butter (aka YUM times a zillion.)

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We probably could have eaten our weight in graham crackers and nut butter, but there was a huge dinner ahead of us. So we pulled ourselves away to go shower and primp for the Silk-sponsored cocktail party and Chobani-sponsored dinner.

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Bloggers can clean up nice too, right?

At the cocktail party, there were some delicious appetizers like veggie spring rolls and black bean cakes, as well as fresh veggies and dipping sauce.

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It was at the cocktail party that I met two of my other favorite bloggers – Carly @ Snack Therapy and Becky @ Olives n Wine:

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Photo via Carly.

I was so excited to meet these two girls after reading their blogs for a few months. Like I said about Ashley & Sara, I felt like I already knew them so well, which is why it was that much more fun to spend time together this weekend.

The dinner that followed was also absolutely delicious:

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Mmm so much healthy food on one plate. I can’t stand it.

To our excitement and delight, there was also a photo booth at this event! We all know how bloggers are about pictures.

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As most of us were on east coast time, we ended up back in our rooms pretty early (as dinner time felt like bed time!) This was probably a good move, since the following morning contained a wildly intense workout courtesy of GPP Fitness.

But I will save that for Recap Part 3. Stay tuned!

Continue On: Blend Recap Part 3: Saturday, Burpees, and Mountains

Related Posts: Blend Recap Part 1 – The Highlights

14 Comments

Filed under food/drink, life, travel

May 20, 2013 · 8:09 am

blend recap 1: the highlights

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The 2013 Blend Retreat has come and gone, and what an amazing weekend it was! New friendships, stronger friendships, delicious food, beautiful scenery, maybe some sore muscles, and an all-around incredible experience. Of course, now comes the daunting task: writing about it. I’m sure everyone will agree – there’s just way too much to say! Not to mention all of the zillion pictures that we all took.

So, and I’m sure others will do the same, I’m going to do a multi-part entry to recap this awesome weekend. And to start, I’ll cover the highlights, because I’m too overwhelmed with all the incredible things to write about.

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I’ll start with my awesome roommates! I was lucky to room with Kate @ Quarter Century Southern Living (who is also my future sister-in-law, but that’s beside the point), Sara @ FitCupcaker, and Ashley @ Cupcakes n Crunches. These girls were so much fun to hang out with and get to know. We met at the airport and shared a shuttle together to the Hyatt Escala (which, btw, is GORGEOUS), and by the time we entered our ~~room~~ ~~suite~~ palace, I felt like we were already old friends.

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Ok, let’s talk about the swag bags for a second (and more on this later, because I might need to dedicate an entire post to all of the samples we were given this weekend.) We were all blown away when we went to pick up our swag bags and were given huge duffel bags filled to the brim with delicious snacks, protein bars, coconut oil, supplements, stevia packets, protein powder, etc. The list goes on on and on.

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I had never visited Utah before, so I was enamored with the gorgeous scenery around our hotel. It honestly felt like we were on a movie set. All of the mountains were so pretty, and despite the 50 – 60 degree weather, there were still patches of resilient snow towards the tops of the mountains. Even just driving from the airport to the hotel was a privilege. If you’ve never visited the Salt Lake City / Park City area before, GO. Go now.

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We went on a hike on Saturday, and it might have been my favorite part of the weekend. The weather had been a little dicey, but the majority of us decided to go anyway because when were we going to be in Utah again? And all together? I’m so glad that I went because it was such a cool experience. We all had to stop multiple times to take pictures and just admire our surroundings.

I’ll leave it here for now, but here’s what’s to come:

A food post (all of our amazing meals, the great sponsors, samples, and swag)
More on my roomies and the other girls
The cocktail party
GPP Fit Boot Camp
Park City itself

Stay tuned! I’ll leave you with a great photo of some of the girls plus Miss United States (who is one awesome lady!)

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In the mean time, to catch up on our updates and incessant photos, search the #blend2013 hashtag on twitter and instagram! Or follow me on both:

@deelizabeth_ (Twitter)
@deelizabeth9 (Insta)

Reader Question(s):

Which bloggers do you recognize in that last photo?
If I were going to post a recipe using muesli, what would you like to see?
Have you ever been amazed by scenery when traveling? Where?

Continue Reading:

Blend Recap Part 2: Friday, Airplanes, Swag, & Cocktails

Blend Recap Part 3: Saturday, Burpees, and Mountains

32 Comments

Filed under life, travel

May 16, 2013 · 8:46 am

BLEND tomorrow!

park.city.

24 HOURS UNTIL BLEND 2013! This time tomorrow, I’ll be on a plane headed west, Utah-bound. The above photo is where we’ll be staying, at the Hyatt Escala in Park City. I’m excited to get out of my comfort zone a little, explore a part of the country I’ve never visited, and meet new people. I’m a little nervous too, but I suppose it’s the “good” kind of nervous.

In other news, I was so consumed with making a mental to-do list this morning (print boarding pass, make sub plans for tomorrow) that about 20 minutes into my drive to work, I realized I had forgotten my lunch on our kitchen counter.

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I’d actually taken some time to pack a decent lunch this morning (one that consisted of a chobani raspberry, kashi cereal, a banana, a white peach, and some black beans and salsa) and I was looking forward to eating it. Luckily, I realized this prior to my routine morning trip to Starbucks. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Starbucks has kicked up their pre-made meals a notch, and I’m now in possession of a salad with black beans, corn, and quinoa. Not too shabby.

Breakfast a la Starbucks was also pretty decent:

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I’m not usually a big fan of honey in Greek yogurt, surprisingly, but I thought I’d give this a shot. The best part was definitely the granola.

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Pumpkin seeds are the best. This must be a new Starbucks trend, because their blueberry oatmeal also includes pumpkin seeds.

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I’m definitely dreading the impending packing tonight. My roommates will undoubtedly be inundated with lots of text messages concerning outfit drama and cocktail party options. The weather forecast for Utah is also a pretty wide range, which makes packing even more difficult:

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Layers it is, I suppose.

As a parting shot, please allow me to share today’s Note from the Universe:

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Au revoir, blog world! See you after BLEND!

Reader Question(s):

What’s your favorite breakfast item at Starbucks?
What’s your go-to outfit when the weather could range from chilly to warm?

17 Comments

Filed under food/drink, life, travel

May 13, 2013 · 9:07 am

BLEND countdown: 4 days!

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Honestly, it feels like yesterday that Kate (Quarter Century Southern Living) emailed me and said “Hey have you heard about BLEND Retreat? It looks like fun! Let’s go!” I’d never done anything like it before so I thought – hey why not? We signed up, booked our flights, and put it on our calendars. Since then, I connected with lots of other awesome girls also attending BLEND, and the excitement grew. And now, here we are, entering “the week of”.

Who’s excited!?

Before we all touch down at the Salt Lake City airport, we need to (ugh) …pack. Gulp. We all know I’m not very good at that.

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Remember this from my pre-OBX post last year? -

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Yeah, it’s like that.

Luckily, the girls in charge of BLEND must be in tune with this issue, so they sent us an awesome detailed packing list. WHEW.

Friday night is a cocktail party and the girls told us we can “get as fancy as we want” which is exciting, but I know I’m going to experience outfit drama and probably bombard Kate with picture texts all throughout Thursday evening. What do you think about this dress? These shoes? HALP!

I do have a dress in mind though. It’s strapless, coral, and only worn twice, so I think it’s time to give it another go:

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There’s the coral dress in all of its glory, in the presence of some delicious cake and coffee at a friend’s wedding a few summers ago. This dress, bought at Lord & Taylor, I think, was only worn once during the summer of 2011 and then once more in summer of 2012. Should it make an appearance in Utah in 2013? I’ll probably change my mind about this at least a dozen more times.

However, there are some things that I am sure of in terms of packing, and that’s my flight survival kit. Let it be known that I do not like flying. Everything about it stresses me out, from potential delays to security to take-off to landing. I try to keep my cool, and I usually fly alone, so I don’t have anyone to voice my anxiety to. There are some things I know I’ll bring with me to occupy my brain and teeth. Seriously.

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My ears pop a lot on planes (and carrides actually) so I will definitely be carrying a huge stash of gum in my purse. My favorite brand: Orbit. Favorite flavor: spearmint. Perfection.

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If I can manage to eat, it will be a Luna bar, not one of those weird cookies that they give us on the plane. Luna bars are my go-to travel snack. They are filling and also don’t taste like cardboard (unlike other protein bars out there).

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Starbucks. Definitely starbucks. I’m meeting my roommates at the Starbucks in the Salt Lake City airport, but will obviously need at least two more cups of coffee prior to this. Addict, remember?

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Crossword puzzles are my favorite thing to do on the plane, aside from listen to music or read trashy magazines. They keep me occupied and focused on other things (besides the fact that I’m flying, that is.) I will undoubtedly buy a book of puzzles, either sometime this week or at one of those overpriced news stands at Logan Airport on Friday morning. And probably the latest issue of Cosmo so I can feel awkward next to my random seat partner.

Overall though, I am so excited for this weekend! The events of the weekend are enough to look forward to in and of itself (cocktail party, a hike, fitness bootcamp, BLEND dinner, breakfasts, exploring downtown Park City) but mostly I’m excited to meet some of the girls who I have really gotten to ‘know’ only through the blog world. It will be fun to hang out in person and get to know each other even more. Can’t wait!!!

Reader Question(s):

If you’re going to BLEND – what are you wearing to Friday’s cocktail party?
What are your go-to items to take with you on the plane?
Do you like flying? Why/why not?

23 Comments

Filed under life, travel

May 6, 2013 · 7:41 am

sundresses and an avocado recipe

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Unplugging on the weekends has become a bit of a habit. I’ll often sit down with the intention of blogging, but then will get sidetracked by articles on Buzzfeed or Thought Catalog, or by the fact that it’s sunny outside and a weekend, and I should probably be outdoors.

And speaking of, this weekend was filled with outdoor activities. Connor and I found a park with hiking trails not too far from our apartment, so we explored on Saturday. I returned there yesterday with my friend Erin & an adorable black lab puppy that is in training to be a service dog. She takes care of her on the weekends, so it was so much fun to meet her and take her on a long walk.

The above photo is from Friday night, after an evening in downtown Boston. I have so many photos snapped from similar angles, but I will never tire of taking pictures of my city’s skyline.

After my audition on Friday (which went well, I think, but it’s always so hard to tell), I found myself in Urban Outfitters, where I fell in love with so many sundresses. I ended up buying a couple, including this one:

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Except the print is different — it’s more of a cream colored with larger flowers. I just want to wear sundresses every day this summer.

I also feel the need to confess that I made a very special DVD purchase:

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Yes… My OC collection is now complete. I’m not embarrassed at all to admit that I spent money on Season 4. Cage fighting? Eloping in France? All par for the course.

In cooking-related news, Connor and I decided to make a health(ier) version of one of the greatest appetizers of all time – the avocado egg roll. I mean, have you been to the Cheesecake Factory? Seriously.

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any photos of our creation – we must’ve eaten them too quickly – but I do have a recipe. Of course.

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You will need…

egg roll wraps (we used the Nasoya brand)

2 avocados, pitted and chopped

1/2 onion diced

1 package sundried tomatoes, chopped (if possible, get the kind that is not in oil – just dry in the package)

olive oil for brushing

salt, pepper

dash red pepper flakes

Method…

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with foil.

In a large bowl, gently mash the chopped avocados. You can make it as smooth or as chunky as you want. Gently stir in the onion and the sundried tomatoes. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

Turn one egg roll wrapper so it’s in the shape of a diamond, with a corner pointing to you. Scoop a generous amount of avocado filling onto the center of the wrapper. Brush the corners with olive oil. Fold two opposite corners into the center and then turn the wrapper so an unfolded corner is facing you again. Gently roll the wrapper, scooping inward so you wrap your filling like a burrito. Brush the seams with olive oil and lay on the cookie sheet.

Repeat with the rest of the wrappers until you are out of filling.

Bake in the preheated oven approx 15-20 minutes or until edges are browned and top is crispy. Enjoy!

As a parting shot, I will leave you with today’s Note from the Universe:

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And I will also say…

11 DAYS UNTIL BLEND!

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Reader Question(s):

What are your favorite things to wear in warm weather?
What do you like to do outdoors in the summer?

18 Comments

Filed under food/drink, life, travel

Tagged as appetizer, avocado, snacks, sun dried tomatoes

May 3, 2013 · 8:14 am

TFGIFF

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TFGIFF = Thank Freaking God (or whoever) It’s Finally Friday! The above picture bears no reference on the remainder of this post; I just thought a little Gordon Ramsay humor might be appreciated on this fine brink-of-the-weekend day. I kind of feel like yelling like him sometimes though. I bet it would be cathartic.

This morning, I had zero interest in eating anything in my fridge or pantry for breakfast, so I did what any normal 20′something girl driving to work would do:

oatmeal

This blueberry oatmeal at Starbucks is pretty fabulous. I usually only use half of one of the agave packets because the blueberries sweeten it enough. I love the nuts and seeds that come with it though — the pumpkin seeds are the best. I’ll admit that my oatmeal this morning was a tad bit too watery, but I inhaled it anyway. (Paired with a venti blonde & soy. Naturally.)

In theatre-related news, I’m kicking it into high gear this month with a ton of auditions. I think the motto of this mission is “go big or go home” because my first one, later today, is in downtown Boston and they are hiring both union and non-union actors. I guess that means that the competition is going to be fierce, but you never know if you don’t try. Instead of requesting the standard cut of 16 or 32 bars of a song, they want a full 2 minute monologue and full 2 minute song. Needless to say, I’ve been working with a determination of a college acting student, or something.

monologue

It’s been so long since I broke down a monologue like that, using beats and verbs and all that other scene study class terminology. In my first acting class in college, I had to do this with an entire Tennessee Williams play. I still remember lying on the floor of my freshman year dorm with that black binder, thinking of as many different verbs as possible. I may or may not have turned to a thesaurus at one point. This particular monologue pictured above is from An Ideal Husband, and it’s one I worked on a zillion years ago when I was in school. It’s always kind of fun returning to old monologues or songs and finding new ways to perform them.

Lastly, I want to point you all in the direction of my guest post at Olives ‘n’ Wine! Blogger Becky (who I cannot wait to meet at the Blend Retreat in a couple of weeks!) asked me to write a guest post for her while she is at the Kentucky Derby this weekend (lucky gal.)

My post‘s topic? All about Boston of course! Make sure to check it out!

Reader Question(s):

What is your favorite ‘drive-through’ or restaurant breakfast?
What are your weekend plans?

10 Comments

Filed under food/drink, life, theatre, travel

April 30, 2013 · 11:34 am

back from NY and a chickpea burger recipe

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Coming back from an unplugged weekend always makes me feel refreshed. I know I have a lot to catch up on but I enjoy taking some time off every once in a while.

My trip to NY was absolutely what I needed — a great break to see old friends, reconnect, and recharge. While sitting at dinner with two of my best friends from college, we commented about how it didn’t really feel all that different from 5 – 6 years ago, sitting at dinner, talking about an upcoming party or upcoming event. I feel like that’s the best — when you can go for months (or sometimes years, sheesh) without seeing people, and then see them and it’s like nothing has changed. And even if things have changed, at least the energy is the same. It’s reassuring.

Another thing I got to do was visit my parents’ house and see my pets this weekend!

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Meet Jasper the black cat and Zoe the golden retriever. They are best friends, believe it or not. Sometimes I think they are confused – they believe they are the same animal. I often see Zoe try to clean herself like a cat would, and Jasper has learned to tap his water and food bowl with his paw when he is hungry or thirsty. Strange little creatures, but I adore them.

Going home to NY is like a trip to nostalgia-town for me, and usually results in at least one night of settling down in my room with a cup of coffee and pouring through old photo albums, journals, boxes of letters, etc.

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I feel like it’s good to reflect on where you’ve been. It helps you understand where you are, where you’re going.

As mentioned in a zillion entries previously, I also saw Pippin on Broadway this weekend. I cannot quite put into words how awesome it was. It’s hard for me to be disappointed by a Broadway musical, but this one exceeded all of my expectations. I’m not sure there’s a better way to explain it than to say that the audience gave a certain cast member a standing ovation in the middle of the show. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen. There’s some serious magic at work in that little theatre on 45th st.

In some cooking-related news….

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Can I just eat this every day? I was craving falafel last night but didn’t really feel like eating anything fried. Getting creative, I decided to do something similar, but instead of pan-frying, I used my oven to bake the mixture into a burger-like formation. Paired with pita bread, veggies, and hummus? Um, hello, perfect dinner.

A recipe? You know it.

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Baked Chickpea Burgers (makes 6 medium burgers)

You will need…

1/2 onion

1/2 green bell pepper

2 15-oz cans chickpeas

1 egg

1 cup breadcrumbs (or crushed gluten free crackers if you feel so inclined)

salt, pepper

2 tsp cumin

a few leaves of parsley

olive oil

Method…

In a food processor, pulse onion and pepper until finely minced. DO NOT blend, or you will get a liquid.

Add chickpeas and pulse again until smooth.

Add egg and breadcrumbs. Add additional breadcrumbs if you find the mixture to be too wet. Pulse again until combined.

Add spices and parsley. Pulse a few more times. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and refrigerate approx 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cooking sheet with foil and lightly spray with no-fat cooking spray. Form mixture into 6 patties (approx 2 inches wide). Lay patties on the sheet and lightly brush with olive oil.

Bake in the preheated oven approx 25 minutes or until the tops of the patties are golden brown and crispy. Enjoy!

As a parting shot, may I please remind you all to check out the amazing necklace giveaway from last week! You still have a chance to enter!

Click here for more details!

~*~

Reader Question(s):

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Filed under food/drink, life, theatre, travel

Tagged as chickpeas, middle eastern, sandwich

April 26, 2013 · 9:57 am

friday: weekend getaway edition

nyc.signs

I’ll start this post off with a reminder about the AWESOME giveaway from yesterday — a signature necklace by Brooklyn-based Temerity Jewelry. If you haven’t entered yet, you should! Click here for the details!

Anyway, onto other exciting things…. My New York weekend begins today! As soon as work is over, I’ll be on my way. Packing was so challenging. I started two days ago, continued last night, and finished haphazardly this morning. I honestly think I packed two weeks’ worth of outfits. This in-between springtime weather is great, but it’s so hard to pack for! Short sleeves? Sleeveless? A sweater? Flip-flops? A scarf? A light jacket? There’s just no way to know. Sigh.

Luckily, I bought a new pair of flats yesterday.

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I’ve been on the hunt for a new light colored pair of ballet flats, and I’m excited to have found these. They are the Emmie Flats in Metallic Powder by Lucky. I found mine at Marshall’s, incidentally. I’m not usually a fan of the scrunchy ballet flat, and typically find them uncomfortable, but I love these! I’m trying to break them in today and finding them to be actually really easy to wear.

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I’ll end this post with a cheesy photo that I found on Pinterest of the Sex & the City girls plus a quote. My friends that live in NYC (and one out in California) are like my sisters. Geographical distance may separate us, but we’ll never really be apart.

satc