Breakfast Hand-Me-Downs

It's been a ridiculously busy summer so far! So much so I can't even find the time for a new posting. Alas, I'm just going to share an e-mail I wrote to the NY Dumb Belle about 8 minutes ago. Likely our only follower, she gets to read this twice.

Dear Jamie,

Inspired by my work breakfast at The Breakfast Club in Soho last week, I made this at home and it made my friggin' day. It felt like eating an ice cream dessert at 8am with no guilt. Consider this my Happy Monday gift to you.

• take a cup of oats and soak them in about a cup and a half of apple juice, just until they're covered - ideally do it overnight, but I only soaked them for 10 minutes and they were still finger-licking good. I didn't actually lick my fingers though, I promise. (Also, I did some reading and apparently you're supposed to soak ALL oats because there's something in them that blocks the minerals? Oatmeal packages of yesteryear apparently even used to have soaking instructions. This woman knows more than me. )
• mix with half a cup of plain yoghurt, drop in a little agave nectar.
• top with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, raisins and something crunchy (they used nuts, I used a muesli honey cereal).
  
  eat and make yummy noises. SO GOOD.

xoxo,

Kim

Brooklyn by bus

Spring has definitely sprung in New York, and summer is well on it's way (90 degrees yesterday)!

This past weekend I avoided the city and never went underground. Instead, I got to know the bus system a little better and never left my beloved borough of Brooklyn. It began with a trip to Fort Defiance, a sweet little spot in Red Hook with a killer cocktail list and great food. Despite the list of more elaborate cocktails, I opted for a Cucumber Collins. I love how refreshing they are and the unique flavor the cucumber provides. I loved it so much, I wanted to make my own, and low and behold, the NYT published the Fort Defiance recipe last summer! Bliss.

The next morning it was on to Alma, the rooftop restaurant in Columbia Heights with the best views of the city with some cool industrial cranes and shipping crates in the foreground. They have the best breakfast burrito in town, according to Chris, and I had an equally delicious baked dish of bubbly cheese, tortilla strips, fresh avocado, and poached eggs on top.

After that, we walked along the water to the recently opened Pier 1. The park is beautiful and pristine, and it will only get better as they continue to open more of it! A little while later, and after a scoop of coffee ice cream from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, we took the bus over to Habana Outpost for some frozen mojitos, sunshine, good company, and good music. Some Mexican snacks were consumed at Pequena (the name is true to the space) across the street too.

After all that, and a sunburn to go along with it, the rest of the weekend was filled with more productive, less interesting activities, except for a KILLER yoga class at Bend and Bloom in Park Slope. If you want to kick your core into high gear, take a core integration flow class with Angela. It'll hurt to laugh afterwords, but it hurts so good.

music for my feet

I went for a run this morning. Or, as I told my mom, I went for a jog-ish type thing. I find that only 10 or so minutes makes me feel like a proper athlete, and that's good enough for me. I have two venue options for this activity: the gym or the countryside. The treadmill at the gym is strategically placed in front of a massive mirror, kindly making it easier for me to enjoy the sight of my chipmunk cheeks and my burly calf muscles flouncing around. Thanks, Gym. I thought we were friends.

Running in the countryside sounds ideal until the very definition of country pops up in the form of dead rabbits and rat guts spewed along the path, pools of mud and stinging nettle, and bumble bees flying into my right eye. As a city girl, I draw energy from noisy traffic and dodging people on sidewalks - so unless there's a herd of sheep chasing me, the countryside, while gorgeous, just doesn't motivate me. Music, however, always seems to stimulate something in me and fire me up. If I get the right mix on, I could even run for 11 minutes! How's that for athleticism?? (You can take my word for it, or read about how music increases efficiency, or how music + exercise = brain smarts.)

Behold my workout playlist. Some are silly, some are angry - but they all have a beat that's hard to ignore.

Warm Up and Stretches

Stop Complaining - Lyrics Born

Let's Get Going

I'm Alive - Don Fardon

Put It In A Love Song - Alicia Keys and Beyonce

Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Huddle Formation - The Go! Team

Beggin' - Frankie Valli

Pretend I'm In A Music Video At The Top Of The Hill For A Few Minutes Because Only Cows Can See Me and They Could Use The Entertainment

Lollipop - MIKA

Back To The Boring Stuff (i.e. Running)

99 Problems - Jay-Z

You Can't Always Get What You Want (Soulwax Remix) - The Rolling Stones

Slow Down

At The River - Groove Armada

***If you generously donate $25 to the INATOA Project, I will generously mail you this playlist and some bonus songs on a CD. What a steal!***

Seasonally Fresh

I am all about eating what's fresh. I have a calendar in my kitchen that highlights each month's freshest produce. I initially got it as a joke because my boyfriend didn't understand the concept of things being seasonal - he always wanted mangoes in December and blackberries in February - but it has proved useful for me too. I'm pretty good on fruits and basic veggies, but I never really thought about onions or certain herbs, for example, being seasonal.

Then I got an e-mail from Vital Juice Daily that was all about what's in season! Here's a list of the highlights, and some recipes to go along with it. Who knew peas had so much fiber?!? And I have a lifelong weakness for strawberries, and more recently mangoes too, so I will definitely be trying that recipe!
Asparagus: Contains a type of fiber called inulin to promote healthy gut bacteria. Grill it or use it in this delicious Pasta Primavera.
Artichokes: They pack the most antioxidants of all vegetables.
Apricots: For a super breakfast bowl, soak 1/2 cup rolled oats in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk for 10 minutes. Top with chopped apricots and slivered almonds.
Fennel: Beats bloat. Also tastes great shredded into a salad.
Swiss chard, collards, mustard, spinach and spring greens: Loaded with vitamins A, C and E, these leaves boast blood building vitamin K and iron and bone boosting calcium and magnesium.
Peas: Give peas a chance! A half cup serving has more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal.
Chives: Make this recipe for Herb Cheese Spread and use it as a veggie dip, a sandwich spread or stir into pasta dishes.
Strawberries: One cup contains more than 160% of your daily quota of immune-boosting vitamin C. Try this recipe for Strawberries with Whipped Mango Purée tastes like a beach vacation.
Mangoes: Unlike most fruit, this tropical treat has plenty of age-fighting vitamin E.
Honeydew melon: Eat your water! This fruit is 90% water to help hydrate the skin and fill you up.
Vidalia onions: These stinkers are rich with sulfur compounds that may reduce the risk of heart disease.

And if you're a New Yorker, here's another cool new resource: What Is Fresh is an online guide to local food and farmers markets and what's available now.

Happy seasonal eating!!

substitute goods

There are 3 foods this dumb belle can't say no to: salami, beer and any kind of batter. This makes me a perfect guest at German beer fests and child birthday parties but has thus far prevented me from reaching my lifelong dream of participating in a small town beauty pageant and dazzling all in the swimsuit competition. Not to mention in the talent portion with a one-man band rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk".

Following my recent acceptance into grad school, where I'll be thoroughly confused in more than one econ class, allow me to draw a parallel between healthy livin' and economics: substitute goods, in econ terms, are goods that can be used to

satisfy the same needs, one in the place of another - butter and margarine or Pepsi and Coke are classic examples. Lately, I've been wondering if there are replacements for my guilty pleasures that would also help me get that elusive bikini bod.

I've done a little food substitute exploration - including a product called Quorn I can't really recommend - and I'm sharing three of these trials with you. Here's to making these substitutes normal-tutes! If you have any go-to substitutions, please do share with the class.

substitute good #1: agave nectar or palm sugar for brown sugar.

the facts: Agave nectar has a low glycemic index, which provides sweetness without the unpleasant "sugar rush" and unhealthful blood sugar spike caused by many other sugars. As an added benefit, you can apparently use it on your wounds, like the Aztecs did. Read all about it here, and pick it up at Trader Joe's. Palm sugar is made by boiling the nectar of coconut palm. It apparently has the lowest GI of any sugar, meaning that it only gradually raises blood glucose levels, giving a steadier supply of energy. Not only can you sprinkle on cereal or oatmeal, but it makes a great substitute for brown sugar in baking. You should be able to get it at your local Asian foods store.

the recipe: not so much a recipe as a breakfast recommendation.

1 cup of oatmeal (cut oats are better!)

1 tbsp. of agave nectar drizzled over the bowl

dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (or spekulaas for any euros)

blueberries and raspberries

substitute good #2: applesauce for oil.

the facts: Replacing oil with applesauce will cut calories and fat without adversely affecting the texture of whatever you're baking. Applesauce is a great source of fiber and anti-oxidants - just make sure you get the unsweetened kind, or make your own.

the recipe: slightly altered maine pumpkin bread

• 1/2 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup applesauce (I like using chunky applesauce - adds texture)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups palm sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 7x3 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaf is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

substitute good #3: there is no substitute for red meat.

the facts: As Gob says in one of my favorite Arrested Development episodes, "the jury's still out on science." Likewise, the jury's still out on several meat replacements, including soy and mycoprotein (part of the fungi family grown in a large vat). In my opinion, nothing can replace the deliciousness of red meat (with the exception of Morningstar sausage patties!). I'm choosing instead to eat it in moderation, and I created this recipe just for the occasion.

the recipe:

Kimspeziala (Meatless Cheeseless Lasagna with an Egg on Top)

1 Tbs. olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 Tbs. tomato paste 

2 cans peeled plum tomatoes 

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes  (I like to be very liberal with the flakes)

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

500g pre-cooked whole wheat lasagna sheets

1 eggplant chopped into small squares

1 yellow pepper chopped into small squares

1 red pepper chopped into small squares

1 red onion chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large glass baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Saute eggplant, peppers and onion in a pan with a bit of olive oil and the two cloves of garlic.
3. When the veggies are tender, add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Let it simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes, and then add in the parsley, basil, oregano, pepper flakes and salt and pepper.
4. Put one layer of lasagna noodles down to completely cover the bottom of pan. Add about 1/2 of the veggie mixture and spread evenly over the noodles. Cover the veggies with lasagna noodles, then add remaining veggies but save about 1/2 a cup of the tomato sauce. (You can add a ricotta mixture here if you're so inclined!) Cover with lasagna noodles, the tomato sauce and dried basil. Bake covered for 30 minutes; remove the cover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
5. While the lasagna's in the oven, fry an egg for each serving. If you need instructions, I'm shocked, but here you go.
6. Slice up the lasagna and serve with the egg perched on top!

Making do with who knows what...

For me, food = life. Not just in the obvious survival sense, but in the sense that I am obsessed. Eating it (at home or elsewhere), cooking it, buying it, researching it, talking about it, reading about it, anything! Bad food is not an option for me. Of course it happens, but I try to avoid it at all costs. Eating just to satisfy hunger doesn't work for me either, its about the experience, the taste, the ingredients.

I do have a job and do many non-food related things, but I'm often thinking about it even when I'm doing something else. This morning as I started writing this, I was thinking about my grocery list for the week. When I'm in down dog, I'm often thinking about what I can make for dinner that's healthy but fast since I get home late.

Usually I try to make three recipes a week, all with the capacity for leftovers for lunch. I try to go for healthy recipes, but I don't shy away from a little oil or carbs or healthy fats. I get the recipes from blogs (see list at left), the NYT, magazines (a favorite is Cooking Light), and the various cookbooks I've collected over the years.

I'm very proud of that ritual, but this week I just couldn't cut it. I wanted nothing to do with the store, recipes, or planning. Instead of my usual trip to Trader Joe's & the produce market on Sunday, I went on Monday night. Longest. Line. Ever. What did I buy? $100 worth of who knows what (for two people). What have I done with it? So far, a turkey sandwich with arugula (my favorite green) and ricotta (my current obsession, and the best in NY comes from here), and a raw zucchini salad I copied from a restaurant in NYC, Fig & Olive. I've always winged it, but just found the actual recipe.

Tomorrow's lunch will be a salad filled with whatever wound up in the fridge from the grocery store (probably asparagus, chicken, cucumber, beets, bulgar wheat, grapefruit, and zucchini, at least). I love making big salads not base on anything but what I have in the kitchen. There always has to be a protein, usually chicken, and a grain because lets face it, when are veggies enough to fill you up?

We'll see what happens the rest of the week, but so far I've survived on my haphazard trip to the grocery store. Next week its back to planning and discovering new recipes, but its nice to have a break sometimes and realize my existing food knowledge serves me just fine. Not four stars, but just fine.

P.S. For anyone that read my previous post about pole dancing, I am happy to say I met my goal last week and am a day's worth of classes away from achieving my goal for this week too!

Pole-asana

I have now successfully completed two pole dancing classes, and I have the sore muscles and bruises to show for it, which I admit, I love...nothing like some war wounds from a good workout. I learned a lot in this class, but it was more challenging than the first. There were more girls, most of whom were friends, and one has to be a super model in real life and had no place in a beginner pole class. Damn she was good! Even though the class was hard and in both classes I've had moments where I wonder what the hell I'm doing there, there's something about it that keeps me wanting more.

I don't walk around telling everyone that I've taken up pole dancing, but I have had quite a few conversations about it with friends and acquaintances. Every male is inevitably intrigued and wants to know if there will ever be a recital of some sort, and almost every female wants to try it, which I think is great (the female response, that is). As Kim mentioned in her previous post, walking around being proud of the chest God gave you is a good thing, and these classes teach you just that, and much, much more. But beyond the intrigue, two guys recently asked what the real interest is. For me, its the new physical challenge (I've barely climbed trees, let alone a metal pole with my bare skin), its the acrobatics (I did gymnastics as a kid but had to accept I was too tall for the sport when I did a cartwheel off the end of the balance beam and my toes hit the ceiling), its the mental challenge of looking yourself dead in the face, being sexy and not caring who else is in the room and might be watching, and its the hope that maybe this will be the thing that finally gets me to look like I've always wanted. That last reason is vague in nature because I don't really know what that is, and its not like I've walked around for almost 28 years feeling unhappy with my appearance, but I think there's always something more to strive for.

Despite my sore muscles and slightly pulled hip muscle from doing too many flying fan kicks, I managed to make it to yoga the next day. Yoga felt great. Certain poses were harder than usual but being challenged in a completely different way and stretching made for a perfect combination.

So here is my goal, and I can use all the help I can get to stick with it: I want to take one pole class and at least 3 yoga classes a week. Ideally 4, but I think 3 is a more realistic goal. We'll see how it goes...

Boob Pride (And Other Goals)

If I were to be unabashedly honest in job interviews when they ask me 'what's your biggest weakness?' I'd have to admit that I'm a consummate half-asser.* There's a half-knit hat sitting on my bedside table next to a not-even-close-to-half finished book on the Cold War next to a not-even-opened bottle of wrinkle cream. I told myself I'd learn how to play a certain song on the piano but every time I sit down to play I just sing 'Who Wants To Live Forever', sans accompaniment. My bedroom is essentially a pile of art supplies for projects I've half-completed. I ain't proud of this, and I think this personality flaw makes it especially hard to commit to a healthy lifestyle. Keeping this in mind, I'm setting low expectations for 2010 living. But I'm gonna try.

*If you're a potential employer googling me, I promise my strongest skill really is a can-do attitude.

1 Hour.
One night Asta, Anne and I were playing Scattergories at Albatross in Berkeley, and when I used the word "boring" as my answer to "Exercise", Asta was visibly shocked and offended. As she should be. I've tried gyms, dancing, yoga, pilates, Tae Bo, Wii Fit...and none of it keeps me interested very long. With that in mind, I'm not aiming to run an hour or go to a Pilates class every day - I'm just promising myself that I'll do a total of 60 minutes of exercise a day. Now, that could be 30 minutes of stretching while I watch "How I Met Your Mother" and 30 minutes of washing dishes, but say it with me - low expectations. I'll go on the quest to find the ultimate exercise soon enough.

Number Two
That's right people, I'm talking about poop. I did a little research on healthy bowel movements (heartfelt thank you to Google for not suggesting images for this particular search) and I found this site for kids extremely informative, with a special tip to get up a little earlier in the day to make time for dropping the kids off. The best site I found, however, is The Poop Report. I was giggling all over this site. I wouldn't recommend staying on it for too long, but I think it's important to think about our system and what we can learn from it. In fact, I'd love to hear other's thoughts on poop. Food in, fecal out!

Spending A Penny
While we're on uncomfortable subjects (Scott, if you're still reading, I'm really proud of you), I drink too much coffee and juice and not nearly enough water for healthy hydration. For the sake of my skin and my belly, I aim to drink enough water to pass enough water. Unfortunately, I don't know what the appropriate amount/color is, so I did a little research. I learned that someone out there loves urinating so much they've dedicated an entire site to it: http://www.urinecolors.com/, but beyond that, there's just too much info out there to know what's right. Hey Lyndsey, care to drop some of your nursing knowledge on the matter?

Will, You Ruined My Life
In 10th grade I got word that a boy was talking about me in the locker room. I won't share the exact quote, but I will tell you that apparently he enjoyed the way I wore my bookbag, with the strap across my torso and between my boobs. I've been self-conscious of the bazooms ever since and have always made a concerted effort to round my shoulders and slouch when I walk so I don't receive unnecessary attention. Well, I'm done with that. These babies are only going to be perky for a few more years so I might as well stick 'em out now and reap the rewards. I aim to do Sun Salutations every morning to start my day off with flexible, strong, boob-proud posture. This woman knows what I'm talking about - she has a great rack.

Keeping the Doctor Away
Holy lordy, there are so many amazing fruits and veggies! My recent favorites: mangoes and parsnips. (Do not eat these together). Fruits make you poop (see number 2) and veggies protect your heart - what's not to love? 5 a day, my babies, piece of cake. Oh...cake.

Sugar, Sugar*
My best friend often does a dead-on impersonation of me simply by saying "Drinks!" in a high-pitched voice. Yes, it's true, I do love me a good cocktail. My tipple of choice for years was rum and coke - a whopping 200 calories. I've tamed the beast a bit now and opt for wine spritzers or gin and sodas, but that just makes me think I can have twice as many. And pile on a dessert, too. What needs to happen is a mind shift - cocktails are essentially desserts. It's one or the other, Kim. My own little Sophie's Choice.

What's cookin'?
Cooking is a pleasure I've only recently discovered, for which I will credit unemployment and living with my parents. When I lived alone, dinner was typically a can of chili or just a tortilla and some beers. There was no joy in cooking because there was no one else to appreciate it and my kitchen was the size of a hotel bathroom. My parents grow every vegetable imaginable in their garden and have a magazine-worthy kitchen with every utensil under the sun. They even have tiny little muffin tins and a cider press. Crazy utensils aside, it feels really good to put time and effort into a meal and know exactly what you're eating. I've already started cooking up a storm but hope to keep it up with at least 2 new recipes a week. I'll be sure to share my favorite recipes.

*That reminds me, I should go to the dentist.

Here's to a healthy, low-achieving 2010.

Fierce living, or at least attempting to

Last Friday I was all set for the second class of my latest athletic adventure, pole dancing (more on that later), but a man hole blew up in front of the studio, causing a power and heat breakdown. My second thought was to take a yoga class, which shares the same studio, but eventually they canceled that class too. So with two strikes against me, I opted to drink a few beers, eat a juicy burger and a plate of fries. Don't get me wrong, sometimes life calls for burgers and beers, but it wasn't exactly an even trade for exercise!

I am going on my fifth year in New York as a west coast transplant. I have always been an active person, but I never feel satisfied with how much I'm doing or how I look. I constantly struggle to find balance in both of those things. To a certain extent, I have exercise ADD. I get bored with one thing, am not enthusiastic about another, or discover something new to try. And in New York, the options are endless, as is the food (more on that later too).

But over the past year, one thing has transcended that: yoga. I am obsessed with core strength vinyasa, to be exact, taught by the wonderful teachers at The Fierce Club in NYC. Whenever someone learns where I practice, they give me that "what?" look. Fierce yoga seems like an oxymoron, or something only New Yorkers would go for, but its not. It is challenging (!!!) yet grounding, exhausting yet rejuvenating. Check out a video here, I'm the one in the blue top.

On top of yoga, my latest discovery has been pole dancing at Body and Pole. I have no aspirations to become a stripper, but after just one class I'm hooked. Its incredibly hard, fun, acrobatic and totally different. We'll see how the second attempt goes this Friday...

Food is my other obsession. Eating it, talking about it, cooking it, reading about it, I love it all. I try for healthy spins on most things I cook, but am all for the occasional indulgence. I've added a list of some of my favorite food blogs on the left.

Yoga, pole dancing, and (mostly) healthy eating sounds all well and good, but that is what I aspire to, not my complete reality...yet. In truth, I snack too much, can't resist sweets (nutella and brownie batter included) and get lazy and skip exercising every so often. But hopefully this blog, written by three amazing dumb belles, will help make it more of a reality, for me and anyone else that reads it and feels similarly.

Exercise is a dirty word, but not as dirty as the sidewalk

I woke up with a hangover on Saturday. Rushing to catch my bus back home from London, I stopped at 4 different vendors in Victoria Station to satisfy cravings for sweet, salty and hydration. First, a chocolate chip cookie. Then a smoothie. Then a pre-made duck dish. I threw them all in a bag and started to head out when I realized I needed a fork for my "salty". As the little fat kid in my belly would have it, I was standing right in front of a fast rood restaurant.

McDonalds was packed but I managed to get the fork...and a hamburger, naturally. I made a mad dash for my bus, darting in and out of tourists with bags and the aforementioned goodies bobbing all over the place, my mouth doing a countdown to satisfaction. As I weaved through a group of teenage boys I started to think, "Damn Kim, you're goo-" when my left foot tripped on my right and what was a stealthy Kim became a pancake Kim. My belongings exploded all over the boys and the sidewalk, but all I could think was that the hamburger better stay contained in that glorious paper wrap.

And boy, it sure did. With bloody knuckles and a bruised knee, I downed every last bite of my food within the first 5 minutes of the busstrip and then took a moment to examine my life. I had started the day in a lovely North London apartment where my friend Lyndsey effortlessly made Huevos Rancheros for us while I barely managed to make drinkable coffee. Adding insult to crappy coffee and culinary skills, I've been unemployed for almost 5 months now. I live with my parents. My most recent romantic encounter was replaying a kiss during an episode of Veronica Mars, and today is Valentine's Day. Needless to say, I could do with a little self-improvement.

Improvement starts with taking control of any little thing I can. Like not getting so drunk on Friday night I need a carb overload the next day. Like planning life a bit better so I don't have to sprint to catch a bus. Like running more so that putting my left foot in front of my right doesn't result in a face plant on a grimy sidewalk. Healthy living sounds crazy boring to me, but if life is about owning things (let's be honest, folks), what better to own than a healthy body and a happy mind? Melissa, Jamie and I are starting this blog to document our ups and downs while we eat well, work out and flex our mind muscles to be better, thinner and happier women. That's the plan, at least.

If you can't control your feet and end up falling flat on your face in public, or if you can't control your love of Nutella and eat 4 tablespoons in a row after you make brownies and eat the batter, or if you drink two gin and tonics before you do pilates...this blog may be just the thing for you. If not, I've just shared a hell of a lot of personal information that I'll thank you not to bring up the next time I see you.