The Most Perfect Acai Bowl

About a year ago, I had the pleasure of making my first, real-life friend from LA.

She was completely opposite of all those Orange-County stereotypes that make NYers swear that we’re the better (best) city in the country. 

Despite growing up on opposite coasts, we had a ton in common. 

(Like, we were both total badasses)

One day, Emily was craving something from back home and asked if I knew of a place to find it in NYC.

New York City has everything- I was sure I could find her a place to buy whatever it was she was looking for.

So what was she looking for, you ask?

An acai bowl.

I had never heard of it, and she was shocked. She explained what it was to me, and I was quickly appalled that I’d never had one.

Next step in this acai saga was Googling where the heck I could find one in NYC. This was probably in December of 2013. I was right, of course, and she COULD find one in NYC- but there were shockingly few places serving something called an acai bowl at that time.

Essentially, Juicy Lucy Juice Bar and Juice Generation.

Fast forward to now, and acai bowls or similar “smoothie bowls” are being served in nearly every juice bar and health food chain you can find. Liquiteria, Jamba Juice and Organic Avenue all have their own versions, just to name a few.

Q: So what is an acai bowl?
A: An acai bowl is a healthy, sweet, delicious, amazing, perfect meal or snack or dessert. See how versatile it is? The writers on Huffington Post knew what they were talkin’ about when they described acai bowls as, “the prettiest, most colorful breakfast optionaround. In short, breakfast porn,” “parfaits on tropical, chilled steroids,” and “what breakfast dreams are made of.”

Here’s what it’s made up of:
-An acai puree/smoothie base that can contain different fruits and milks
-Topped with a layer of granola or nuts, or both 
-Topped with fruits for a burst of color, calcium, natural sugar and vitamins
Optional:
-Drizzled with honey
-Sprinkled with toasted coconut
-Enhanced with a dollop of peanut butter

Q: Why the heck am I just hearing about these now?
A: Acai bowls first gained popularity in Hawaii and, apparently, have been popular on the West Coast for a while now! Thankfully, they’re finally making their way to menus in this fine city!

Q: What is acai anyway? 
A: These berries are being touted as a “superfood” due to their high levels of antioxidants which can help lower cholesterol and do a bunch of other important things like fight out free radicals in your body or something- I really don’t know, and I’m too lazy right now to do the research- but acai berries are apparently good for you and they taste delicious too and that’s not too common so let’s just agree with the scientists on this one, k?

Acai berries may be a good source of antioxidants, fiber and heart-healthy fats.

Q: Ok, I think I’m probably pronouncing it wrong. How the heck do you say acai?
A: Ah-sigh-ee

Now that we got that out of the way, want to hear about the acai bowls I’ve tried? Of course you do.

After that initial Google search for Acai Bowls in NYC- Emily and I kept meaning to get to  Juice Generation to try one and see if it measured up to what she was used to eating in California.

I’m grateful that due to the fact that it was winter and freezing cold, we never ended up getting an acai bowl in the city, and my first experience with one was sharing it with Emily while watching the sunset on Venice Beach during my first ever trip to California. It was everything I had dreamed it would be!!

(Best work trip EVER)

We got it from a little stand along the beach, not because we were hungry, but because, “OMG ACAI BOWLS WHILE THE SUN IS SETTING AT VENICE BEACH!” That is reason enough. Hunger is unnecessary in instances like those.

It was perfect. The smoothie was super thick and delicious and there was peanut butter, granola, bananas and shredded coconut. If I could marry a moment in time, it might be this one:

It was a long time until I was ready to try an acai bowl back here in New York. In fact, I didn’t have another acai bowl for 8 more months!

Then, one night in September, I was looking for some healthy fuel after a long run and went with a friend to Juice Generation, to finally see how their version measured up. Juice Generation has tons of locations throughout NYC and they offer 5 different varieties of acai bowls that range in calories from 390-520.

Of course, the PB Acai bowl packs on the most calories at 520. Rude. All of them sounded so good though and after some back and forth I ordered an Aloha Bowl. The Aloha bowl has acai (obviously), banana, pineapple, bee pollen, almond milk and hemp granola. And I added some almond butter to it, because I’m a suck for nut butter.

(Juice Generation Aloha Acai Bowl + Almond Butter)

While the scenery and company weren’t the same as my first acai bowl, I must say that this was absolutely just as delicious as the one I ate on Venice Beach. The base smoothie was different- at Juice Generation it was more a smoothie and in California it was a lot more solid/frozen. I don’t have a huge preference either way, as long as the flavors are good. And the flavors from my Aloha Acai bowl at Juice Generation were bangin’. Not only did it taste amazing, it was totally filling and satisfying. Two thumbs up!

(I approve!)

The next time I had an acai bowl was from Jamba Juice- they’ve recently added an entire section to their menu called “Energy Bowls.” They’re offering Acai Bowls, Fruit & Yogurt Bowls and Simply Greek Yogurt Bowls.

My friend and I had a coupon for a half priced acai bowl, so we ventured there during our lunch break one day. Jamba Juice offers 3different acai bowls in 3 sizes- 12 oz., 16 oz. and 24 oz. The three options range in calories (for the 16 oz.) from 390-530, almost spot on with Juice Generation.

Our acai bowls came topped with granola, banana and shredded coconut.  They took FOREVER for the worker at Jamba Juice to make. We actually had to laugh it was so ridiculous the amount of time they spent arranging every slice of banana- I guess because we went when they were brand new and the guy had never made one before. They tasted great, although the smoothie was the most liquidy of the 3 I’ve tried, which I didn’t love.

(They put a lot of effort into this presentation...like 20 minutes worth!)

One thing to note about ordering acai bowls in NYC vs. California- the size/price comparison. The acai bowl we had in California was a freaking bucket and probably only cost us $5. At Jamba Juice, energy bowls cost at least $6, and at Juice Generation a 16 fluid ounce acai bowl is going to cost you around $8-$10 bucks. Rough.

Anyone have suggestions for delicious acai bowls in NYC? You know, now that it’s the perfect season for freezing cold smoothies?

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The Search for the Perfect Donut Continues: Doughtnut Plant

As I’ve mentioned on here once or twice, I’m a big fan of fillings. Why eat a regular cupcake when you can have one that’s stuffed with more deliciousness? That (along with the warm, crispy, dough) is why Flex Donuts by far outranked both Dough and DoughLoco in my donut search.

But when I took a trip to Doughnut Plant, I knew that Flex Donuts would be meeting their toughest competition yet. You see, Doughnut Plant is known for their filled donuts, and there was one in particular on the menu that I was just dying to try.

Located on 23^rd Street between 7^th & 8^th avenues, Doughnut Plant is adorably decorated. They make a bunch of different types of donuts, so if variety is important to you, you’re sure to like this place.

(Doughnut pillows, guaranteed to give you SWEET dreams- ba dum ahhhh)

Here are the different donut stylings up for offer at the Doughtnut Plant:

1) Yeast donuts- on their website, these are described as light, airy, fluffy yeast-raised doughnuts, with a slight chew. Flavors include: Vanilla Bean, Valrhona Chocolate and seasonal flavors like Roasted Chestnut and Cranberry Relish.

2) Cake doughnuts- “Leavened with baking powder, our cake doughnuts have a texture somewhere near the intersection of a classic birthday cake and a buttery pound cake.” Flavors include: Tres Leches, Carrot Cake, Cinnamon Sugar, Wild Blueberry, Blackout Cake, Coffee Cake, seasonal flavors and more.

Stop right there. Even with just those two options, I’m having an inner struggle. Both of these sound so tempting…what’s a girl to do?!

On the one hand, I had already tried the Tres Leches cakedonut at my potluck brunch and fallen in love. But light, airy and fluffy sounded most similar to those heavenly Flex Donut balls I had almost wept over!

But wait. There are more options.

3) Filled doughnuts. Oh yeahhh.

3a) Their “original filled doughnuts” take a yeast donut and make it a square so that you’re guaranteed to have filling in every bite. That’s the kind of creativity and dedication I like to see! Square filled donuts include Peanut Butter and Blackberry Jam (hello, dying), Peanut Butter and Banana Cream, Vanilla Bean and Blackberry Jam, and Coconut Cream.

3b) Their other filled donuts are cake donuts- the blackout is a chocolate cake doughnut filled with chocolate pudding, dipped in chocolate glaze and sprinkled with chocolate cake crumbs. Say hello, chocolate coma. 

The tres leches cake donut is described as, “the sweet taste of the authentic “three milks” cake, delivered in our round cake doughnut. They should actually just use the word “crack” to describe it.

And last but not least, the carrot cake doughnut, packed with carrots, raisins, walnuts and spices and filled with a cream cheese filling.

4) If four types of donuts weren’t enough for you (cake, cake filled, yeast and yeast filled)there is yet another type- Doughseeds.

Sounds cute right? They are. “Mini, round filled doughnuts.” I was immediately reminiscing about Flex Donuts…

The doughseed flavors rotate and include: Rose, Hazlenut Chocolate, Matcha Green Tea, Peanut Butter & Blackberry Jam, Pistachio, Strawberry & Cream, Wild Blueberry & Cream and their most well-known donut- the Crème Brulee Doughseed.

So- let’s get down to the reviewing. What have I tried from Doughnut Plant?

-The tres leches filled cake donut. As I mentioned before, this donut was brought as part of a potluck brunch that I organized with friends from work. One bite into this donut and my donut obsession was born. 

(Serious about donuts...)

I can’t describe the flavor of “tres leches” to you except to say that it is amazingly sweet and creamy and heavenly. The cake donut was dense and buttery and biting through the glaze added a wonderful texture and consistency to the soft, inner dough.

(There she is <3)

I really don’t know how I resisted another tres leches donut on my solo trip to Doughnut Plant. But I was on a mission to try their most popular doughnut.

-The crème brulee doughseed. Like I said, I was hoping these doughseeds would be similar to the incredible filled doughnut balls from Flex Donuts. But sadly, the outer dough was not up to par- it was kind of crusty and pathetic, in fact- although the crème brulee filling was a sweet pudding like consistency that somewhat made up for the disappointment, though not entirely.

-My friend had requested that I pick one up for her and all she said to me was “make it choclatey.” Well then, Blackout Filled Cake Doughnut it is! I took a bite, and basically all I got out of it was WHOAH CHOCOLATE. Alright, but not much more than cacao craziness.

-I also got a peanut butter and jam filled donut and all you need to know is that I don’t remember much about it. That’s probably the worst thing I could say about something. To be a baked good containing peanut butter and jam and literally leave no impression in my mind is a sad, sad predicament to be in. Sorry, little doughnut.

(Left: Creme Brulee Doughseed and Right: PB & Jam filled doughnut)

Some closing thoughts:
-I hate switching between doughnut and donut interchangeable but it just happens so DEAL WITH IT, I’M SORRY!
-I loved the tres leches donut here SO MUCH and I’m so sad that the others didn’t live up to my expectations.
-Next time, I need to try a yeast filled donut, I think.
-Don’t come here if you’re looking for a cheap snack- I left here SHOCKED at how much I had spent on 2 donuts and essentially a munchkin sized donut ball. The donuts are around $3.50 each and the doughseeds aren’t any cheaper!

A quick note about Doughnut Plant that gives it serious points from me:
The ingredients they use are all natural, often times organic and made fresh daily. The menu has seasonal specials that are usually reallllly tempting. And all of those fillings? They make them from scratch. Doughnut Plant doughnuts have zero trans-fat, eggs, preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial colors. I don’t know about you, but I like that.

Bottom Line: The tres leches cake donut from Doughnut Plant made me fall in love with donuts. All kidding aside, it did make me reconsider donuts as an incredible dessert and sent me on my mission to try all different NYC donuts. It was really, seriously great. 

So Doughnut Plant gets my vote for the best cakey donut I’ve tried to date.

Flex Donuts still takes the prize for filled donut, hands down.

Light, airy, fluffy donut? Hit up Dough. 

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My Spud was Kind of a Dud. Restaurant Review: Potatopia

Do you like Chipotle? Do you like potatoes? Do you like toppings? If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, read on. If you answered no to one or more of those questions…who are you?

(Any excuse for DRad to be on my blog.)

Fast casual restaurants are becoming more and more common, especially in metropolises throughout the country. (I just really wanted to use the word metropolis…)

Chains like Chipotle and Chop’t have found success because they’re quick, yet claim to offer customers with fresh, natural ingredients unlike those found at true “fast food” establishments.

 I won’t lie- sometimes, fast casual restaurants can overwhelm me. There are too many options. The menus are complicated. Am I building my dish as I go? Am I choosing from a pre-determined menu? Are you going to charge me $2 extra for each vegetable that I ask for? WHY IS THE GUAC EXTRA? There are people behind you in line who are clearly regulars, using terminology from secret menus that you one day hope to decode, and the workers are staring you down impatiently, judging you for calling that salsa “tomatoes.”

But despite my fast-casual social anxiety, I recently visited Potatopia- where you can customize your very own bowl of POTATOES.

I’m part Irish and therefore I LOVE potatoes! I remember over a year ago, when I was still living in the West Village, and I saw the Potatopia storefront pop up on 6th Avenue. I immediately texted my momma (that’s where my Irish comes from) and let her know that NYC was yet again proving to be the best city in the world, with a restaurant dedicated to potatoes. It’s a little ridiculous that it took me THIS long to get there- considering they have now expanded to two locations and have a third on the way.

(Seen on my walk to Potato-land)

What got me to finally check it out? Well, of course I follow them on Instagram, and they had an amazing special during the month of September (National Potato Month- who knew?) where a meal (sans protein) plus a drink was $4 after 4p.m.! They had a similar special for the Halloweek- $5 meals before 5 p.m.!

Let me break this down for y’all so you don’t get anxiety when you visit Potatopia.

Step Number 1: Choose your potato. 

Potatoes are amazing in many different forms, so this first step may cause a little bit of a struggle. I mean, you could go basic baked potato or get a little crazy with a smashed potato. Not mashed, smashed. There’s a difference, and if you don’t know it, you’re about 15 years behind the potato trends people! Get with it! Smashed potatoes, according Peter Hoffman in this New York Times article, means ''Basically, you give the potato a good kick inthe pants and send it to the plate.” Lumps, skin and all.

Feeling healthy? Go for the baked sweet potato, which they will make for you with or without olive oil, salt and pepper.

Prefer your potatoes fried? (Don’t we all?) They’ve got you covered there as well- skin chips, curly fries, shoe string fries, sweet potato crinkle and TATOR TOTS! Go big or go home with the au gratin potatoes- because cream, cheese and butter make everything better!

(Potato Porn- NSFW)

Depending on what Build-Your-Own Potato option you choose, your meal will cost $5.75-$6.95 to start.

Step Number 2: Choose your protein, if that floats your boat.
Want to get fancy and add some substance to that potato of yours? The answer should probably be yes. There are normal protein choices like chicken, steak, and bacon to add to your potato- but you could also choose shrimp, lox, vegan chili or a fried egg.

Careful on this step- each protein costs extra, and depending on which you choose, you could be paying between $1.00 (for the egg) and $3.50 (for the steak). 

Step Number 3: Toppings Time!
The best part about the toppings is that you can pick as many as you want and they’re all FREE! So go ahead, load up that spud bowl with your choice of cilantro, arugula, jalapenos, red onion, zucchini, black olives, corn, mushrooms, scallions, broccoli, garlic, parsley and sweet peppers. Or just say you want a little bit of everything…

Step Number 4: Cheese <3
Cheese. If you skimp on this part, I envy your self-restraint and also question your humanity. You can choose up to two cheeses, and after that, they charge you extra. While I think the menu would be enhanced with a goat cheese option- you’re still sure to find a fromage that tickles your fancy, whether it be asiago, parmesan, cheddar, swiss, pepperjack or mozzarella.

Step Number 5: And to top it all off… SAWCE
Only one sauce is included so choose wisely…

By that I mean just choose one. They all make my mouth water! Ranch Aioli, Chipotle Ketchup, BBQ, Chili Pepper Aioli, Melted Cheddar, Chipotle, Garlic Aioli, Sour Cream, Truffle Aioli, Ketchup, Savory Bacon Aioli, Parmo Aioli, Roasted Pepper Aioli…

Step Number 6: DIG IN

I loaded my sweet potato with veggies, some parmesan and a fried egg with some of the roasted pepper aioli on the side.

Overall, this wasn’t phenomenal, yet I was still a fan, in the end. Let me explain.  The potato was cooked fine, but then the toppings are added and they are raw, which I didn’t like. Cold toppings on a hot potato. Raw broccoli? Meh. Once I got it home and heated it on my own, it was improved. The sauce was so yum.

I would love to see more vegetable options and the ability to have my vegetables cooked along with the potato. Some roasted carrots and cauliflower on top of that sweet potato would be a game-changer.

At the end of the day, choosing to do Potatopia the healthy way was probably my downfall. I would have been better off making a homemade sweet potato with my own toppings (uhm HI, this dish that I made was amazing!) and choosing the fries and cheese and bacon while visiting Potatopia.

(My loaded sweet potato > Potatopia's?)

Still, having a place where you can load a healthy carb up with vegetables and protein is a step in the right direction, and when they offer deals like $4 meals after 4 p.m. and $5 meals before 5 p.m., it’s worth it if you’re in a rush and need to grab something.

Plus, it photographs really well.  

(Everything looks fancier with a fried egg on top!)

I’ve been back for a return visit, which says something!

If my wonderful breakdown of the ordering process isn’t enough to calm your fast-casual social-anxiety- the folks at Potatopia have come up with a few signature meals of their own, so you can just walk up to the counter and say, “I’ll have the Lower East Sider please,” and they will present you with a beautiful bowl of tator tots, scallions, salt, lox, cilantro and sour cream.

The best thing about Potatopia is that you can either make it a healthy meal, or do a complete 360 and make it a carb-heavy, cheese-laden belly bomber.

As you wish, my friends. 

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A Lecture + Restaurant Review: Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen

For the most part, I bring my own breakfasts and lunches into the office. I work smack dab in the middle of Times Square and Rockefeller Center- so you could say that the food options in these parts tend to be a bit overpriced.

(If you don't agree that Aladdin is the best Disney movie, and that Aladdin is the hottest cartoon character...bye.)

Look at it this way. An egg sandwich + a coffee for breakfast probably sets you back at least $6. A standard sandwich or salad for lunch at a Metro Café type joint goes for around $8- without a soda or a bag of chips or any other extras. Bye bye $15. Do that 5 days a week- bye bye $75. That’s $300 a month on breakfasts and lunches. No thanks.

At the beginning of each week, I buy myself 5 Greek yogurts (Key Foods always has one brand per week that’s on sale for $1), 5 bananas (4 for a dollar from my neighborhood fruit stand man outside of the subway station) and a box of granola (free, if I’ve recently visited my Grandma, or $5 for a box of Kashi Go Lean Crunch that lasts me 7 days). Total cost? Around $12. 5 fruit and yogurt parfait breakfasts #BOOM. 3ish days a week I’ll get a $1 McCafe coffee instead of making it in the office (Don’t judge…the stuff is actually pretty good!) So instead of spending $30 a week on breakfast and coffee, I spend around $12. Instead of $120 a month- $48.

Math is fun, no? $1,440 is the price you could pay to buy breakfast and coffee every weekday morning (yeah, we’re not even getting into your weekend spend habits here…). Me? I’ll spend around $576.

Lunch, obviously, is even more expensive- both to buy ingredients for if you’re making your own, or to purchase out somewhere. It’s also harder to plan something quick and easy to bring in from home, and therefore, from time to time, I do find myself looking for some healthier grab and go options in the midtown area.

While browsing LivingSocial, which I’m guilty of doing more than is probably normal, I came across a deal for a place called “Al Horno LeanMexican Kitchen.” Lean? Mexican? And in midtown? That was definitely happening.

For $6, I received a $12 gift card to Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen. After a crazyyy 11-day work week, I decided to treat myself and walked over to 417 West 47^th Street (between 9^th & 10^th Avenues) for some delicious, healthy, Mexican lunch. At least, that’s what I was hoping was in store for me!

(The walk over was so pretty!)

I had perused the menu plenty before I went, always wanting to be prepared! The best part about it, is that it is so customizable. Any of their burritos and vegetarian burritos can be made into a salad or rice bowl- hold the tortilla! Brown rice can be substituted for quinoa!

There are an overwhelming number of options- and a lot of them are really similar, which gets confusing. There are also build your own burrito and salad options, “plate” options, tacos, soups, quesadillas, tortas, smoothies, shakes AND a juice bar. Yeah, I told you it was slightly overwhelming.

In the end, I decided to go with the Baked Falafel burrito bowl with quinoa instead of brown rice and served over greens. I know, mixing up my Mediterranean and Mexican themes- but I’m a sucker for falafel. In addition to the falafel, quinoa and kale, this came served with avocado, black beans, roasted corn pico and a chipotle sauce.

Was this dish healthy? I think so. Was it delicious? Not so much. It was extremely bland- and I can 100% vouch for the fact that these two things are not related. Healthy food does NOT have to be bland- a fact that is proved by many of the other restaurants I’ve reviewed on this blog.

Unfortunately, Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen just didn’t deliver. The falafel was dry and crumbly and none of the vegetables had any flavor. Not even the chipotle sauce could do much to help this sad little plate.

I was so disappointed- usually something with so many of my favorite things (avocado! Falafel! Black beans! Quinoa! Kale!) would have been a guaranteed grand-slam. But nope. I won’t be making a trip back to Al Horno, especially when there are so many places still left to try.

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Yo Yo Yo Lemme Talk About Yogurt

Let’s talk about yogurt.

Yes, yogurt.

Ask my parents, and they’ll tell you that I have always loved yogurt. They never had to force me to eat this healthy food - I grew up downing Breyer's fruit on the bottom cups like nobodies business. None of that Trix shit for me! (Although I did get treated to YoCrunch every so often...chocolate in my yogurt?! Yas.)

(This is making me oddly nostalgic...)

 And now, yogurt is the official snack of New York! I kid you not, people! 

All joking aside- the yogurt industry has exploded in the past few years, and it’s a seriously fascinating study in food trends. You can spend hours reading articles on the internet devoted to yogurt. But since most people aren’t as strange as me, and don’t necessarily care to use their free time reading about a dairy product, I’ve gathered some interesting information for you. You can thank me later. With yogurt treats, preferably. (Fage is my preference, FYI).

1) Think you can go to the store, pick up a container of yogurt, and pat yourself on the back for eating healthy? Think again. So much of the yogurt on store shelves today are LOADED with artificial flavors and TONS of sugar. If you’re eating yogurt that’s named “Raspberry Cheesecake” and thinking that it’s all-natural and good for you, think again. 

There are tons of articles online that compile some of the “healthiest” yogurts on the market, but at the end of the day, I say keep it simple! Much like oatmeal, yogurt is extremely versatile and you can make it delicious without buying containers that come with their own sugary “fruit” mix-ins.

Buy plain yogurt. “EW” you’re probably thinking. I know, I used to be the same way. But when you add cinnamon, honey, raisins, strawberries, and other fresh fruit- you can transform plain “meh” tasting yogurt into deliciousness!

(Perhaps not the most convincing pictures...it's yummy I promise! And yes, I put PB in my yogurt. Are you really surprised?)

2) There are still a ton of options when it comes to plain yogurt, and it’s still important to know what to look for on labels. Keep in mind that 0% fat yogurt will be lower in calories than other options, but the fat found is yogurt shouldn’t be feared!

When looking at labels, remember that yogurt has naturally occurring sugars in it already- so you can subtract those from the total grams of sugar listed. Really looking to cut down on sugar? Buy Greek yogurt.

3) The hype about Greek yogurt isn’t nonsense. Greek yogurt is strained to remove liquid whey, lactose and sugar- which is why it’s so thick. For the same amount of calories, Greek yogurt can have up to double the protein and half the sugarcontent as regular yogurt! Cray.

4) Think I was exaggerating when I said the yogurt industry has exploded in the past few years? According to this article, since 2010, 671 new yogurt products have come out in stores.

(Go yogurt, go yogurt!)

5) Plain Greek yogurt can be used in so many different ways. I mean, just take a look at this handy little chart Chobani has created!

I use plain Greek yogurt as mayo when I’m making tuna fish, as sour cream on top of a potato, as dessert if I freeze it, etc.

6) Speaking of Chobani- did you know they have an entire restaurant dedicated to yogurt?! Oh yes. And it is absolutely one of my favorite places in the city. Everything I’ve tried there has been so delicious. It will most certainly get its own blog entry at some point, but for now, I’ll just mention that they make creations like yogurt with avocado, mango and blue tortilla chips. Drooling yet? 

7) Froyo is like an entirely different beast all together, but it has the word yogurt in it, and I just feel like mentioning that it is quite possibly my favorite thing. And it seems like the rest of the country agrees!

(I would like to publicly state that I have yet to cross this line in my froyo obsession!) 

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5 Reasons This Week Rocked

This week was a pretty great week. Here are some reasons why:

1) Halloween this year was so amazing- I got to see so many of my friends that I haven’t seen in SO LONG and reuniting so many QU bobcats warmed my heart!

(I don't think my apartment is meant to hold this many people, but we made it work!)

Also, my costume was the world's most comfortable thing. As I looked at the girls in heels and minimal clothing, freezing, I smiled in my hoodie and converse. Ok so I was lacking in the pants department. Whatever. We were adorable and comfortable. 

(Alvin and the Chipmunks!) 

2) On Sunday, I got to run a few blocks on 1^st Avenue with my marathon training partner, Tiffanie, as she ran in the NYC Marathon. 

I was feeling like death that day. I was supposed to be volunteering and I’m ashamed to admit, I quit. I couldn’t take the cold, and I was more exhausted than I had ever felt in my entire life.

(I feel ya, Arnold) 

It took everything I had to crawl out of my bed when my tracking app told me that Tiffanie was close. But I am so glad I did!

As I saw her coming up 1^st Avenue in her yellow shorts I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t simply stand there and wave.

(In my brain: "I know her, I know her! That's Tiffanie, my amazing, perfect, incredible marathon training partner! I know those are her most favorite shorts because I have run with her in them so many times! She is the best!  We run in this very spot together all the time! I can't just stand here, let me in!")

I jumped into the street and started running with her, despite being in Uggs and 7 million layers of sweatshirts and jackets. She was absolutely killing it- and went on to BQ with an incredible time. She truly is my inspiration, in so many ways- not just running!

(I look ridiculous but then again, mid-running selfies are hard and I have yet to master them!)

When I realized how easy it was to just jump into the marathon, I stuck around and waited for my friend Nina to come by and did the same thing with her! It was awesome. Nina was powering through some cramping but, as is typical of November Project people, smiling and staying positive!

(Cramps ain't got nothin' on this girl!) 

(How come the ladies running marathons look better in these pictures than me?!) 

I’ve said a million times to countless people that I have no desire to run the NYC Marathon because it’s too much of an ordeal and a hassle.

HA, who was I kidding? My city, my streets. Being out there on First Avenue (which, hi, I didn’t even realize I basically live ON the marathon route), it was just energy energy energy- non-stop. Bands, music, posters, cheering, happiness, emotion. Just absolutely incredible. And now I know that I NEED to be a part of that one day. No questions.

3) My roommate Luciano and my friend Edgar from New York Running Co. both made me SUPER HAPPY by coming out to their first November Project workout on Wednesday morning. They dropped a #verbal and they stood by their word!

(Everyone knows that breaking a #verbal is even more of a no-no than breaking a pinky promise! You can break a finger. You can't break a #verbal. Or something like that?)

(At work on Tuesday, Edgar champed up with a #verbal so I gave him a sticky note with strict instructions to be at Gracie Mansion at 6:28 a.m. Recruiting papers, where you at?) 

The first words I heard Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. were “I fucking hate you,” but as I left the apartment for work after PR day, Luciano thanked me for inviting him, so I forgive him for his not so kind morning greeting!

(I also forgive him because he's awesome, and has this shirt...)

Luciano killed PR day with a time of 15:56! And Edgar, my Meatball Shop loving counterpart, was McAwesome as usual.

(He doesn't really hate me!)

(YAY Edgar with his NY Running Co. and NP-crazed co-workers)

Thanks again both of you! You were a part of history! On Wednesday, November Project reached its goal of 3014 members before the end of 2014. On Wednesday, November 5 the tribe was 3,934 members strong across 16 cities! The New York tribe had its most attended workout with, wait for it, 172 members! Thanks to people like Edgar and Luciano who are motivated to get up, get out and get sweaty!

(We did it guys! We got a standing O from Oprah! See what I did there? Standing O? Oprah? Gahhhd I'm good.)

4) I got to meet MEB! I don’t know why, but I can’t just write his name Meb. It is MEB. All caps is necessary whenever the topic is MEB!

(MEB MEB MEB!! Kiss those streets! You own those streets!)

He came to do a Q&A and meet and greet at the store and I totally got swept up in the MEB craze. I’ll admit I didn’t know a ton about him prior to Tuesday night, just that he was a super awesome crazy fast marathoner. But after hearing him speak, coming to terms with just how awesome his 2014 Boston Marathon win was, I totally have a new role model.

Since Sunday, he has made tons of appearances, yet he was completely present and tuned in during his time at NY Running Co. He was friendly, a great speaker, and funny as hell. He was scheduled to wrap up at 8:30 and he stayed until 9:30 so that he could get to signing and taking pictures with every single person.

I’ve been going on and on about how I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon eventually, but I’ll admit that my reasons were purely speed-based, not because I had any strong desire to run the Boston Marathon. Well, that changed when Meb referred to the Boston Marathon as the Olympics of mainstream marathons. “You have to earn it,” he said. Now, I want to BQ not only to achieve that specific pace goal, but to be able to run in the Olympics of mainstream marathons.

MEB signed my picture "Run to Win." I love that. I love MEB.
 

(I'm pretty sure MEB LOVES ME TOO!)

5) I went to a JackRabbit Union Square run on Thursday night and ran 6.5 miles with the crew that started it all for me. We took selfies. We met an awesome couple who were visiting New York from Milan and had run in the marathon on Sunday. Awesome couple was awesome. I gave them some vegan restaurant suggestions. You know how I do. Food food food. Restaurants restaurants restaurants. Running running running. 

When I run in the city at night, it can still take my breath away every single time. I can't believe that when I got out for a run, I'm passing sights that people literally spend their whole lives dreaming of visiting. 

Review: 

-November Project continues to bring so much happiness to my life.
-Running in general continues to enrich my life. (I feel like the use of "enrich" on this blog feels out of sync with my normal writing style but it's just really the word to explain what running does for me!)
-I’ve decided that I need to run both the Boston Marathon and the NYC Marathon. How cliché of me. 

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